Slaves to Love
by Dark-kitsune-dreams
Summary: AU. A shounenai story focusing on Youko and Hiei. Youko is a slave brought into captivity, and then bought for the infamous Lord Hiei. With the help of some newly found friends, the fox and the hiyoukai soon fall in love, despite all protests.
1. Chapter I

**Any and all characters, techniques, weapons, and settings from the series Yu Yu Hakusho are not owned by me. They are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, and whoever else helped in the creation, production, and airing of both the manga and the series. I, however, do own the plot and any and all original characters. This disclaimer goes for the whole story. **

**Summary:** AU story focusing on a Youko x Hiei relationship. Hiei is a wealthy adopted heir to the baroness Mukuro, who, with Duke Yomi and Earl Raizen, rule over the continent. Youko is a young demon who is enslaved, and then given to the fire demon. Soon both learn to love, and find themselves in a relationship that no one approves of.

**- - -**

Slave. This simple word meant so much in the world. It was an investment, a market, a piece of property, a lifestyle – almost everything one could think of in the world. And this world was much different than the one we know. This world is both the Makai and Ningenkai combined. Demons and humans coexist with each other peacefully, neither side prejudiced against the other.

Sounds like the perfect world, doesn't it? Sadly, it is not, for in this world, havoc wreaks, destroys, and terrorizes. Children are ripped away from their parents, women are raped, and towns are destroyed. The ones who are supposed to uphold justice are the greatest abusers. They gain profit by capturing anyone from a small child to a convicted felon, and selling them to these slave traders. This is where our story begins.

**- - -**

It was sunrise, and the rich, burning sun seemed to be so close to the earth that you could touch it. Its red and gold light illuminated the water of the small lake, mixing with the crystal waterfall and pouring the golden liquid into the lake's basin. The plant life seemed to be outlined in gold leaf, and the rocky decent of the waterfall was painted red. Inside the lake, the backs of the fish and amphibians reflected the red as they gracefully cut through the clear, golden water.

Behind the waterfall was a small cave. Golden wisps of light seeped in through the flowing water, signifying morning. One of these rays fell upon the unopened eye of a pale face. Slowly, the eye opened, revealing a large, golden eye. The eye was almost totally pupil, and the owner sleepily blinked his long lashes. Wearily, he got up, mentally cursing the sun, and stretched.

The golden-eyed boy was a youko- a fox demon. His name was Youko, and was about 1200 years old. Youko had long silver hair, and sparkly golden eyes that still hadn't lost the innocence of childhood. His silver tail twitched slightly, and his usually perked-up ears were drooping. The fox's loose white Chinese-style tunic was torn and dirty, as were his white trousers and slippers. The tunic was quite incredible, for the boy had managed to entwine his ki into the thread, which made the tunic able to deflect low ki attacks and weaken the high ki ones as well. I don't own the ability of Youko's tunic. This idea belongs to Togashi, and is explained in the Japanese version in episode 90 The boy's build was thin, and you could see some of his ribs underneath his clothing.

He had no family with him and traveled alone. His father was a no-show when he was born, and his mother, like most other youko, abandoned her children after they were able to barely fend for themselves. The litter of four lived on the streets, eagerly hoping that someone in the town would take them home and raise them. One by one they found homes, until only the little golden-eyed kit was left.

People would pass by him, look at him, and then leave instantly without a second glance in his direction due to his golden eyes. This eye color was the rarest of all, and was believed to be cursed. No one wanted to risk raising Youko in fear that his eyes would bring a curse upon them, so he was forced to grow up alone. Eventually the people of the town ran him out, afraid that he would bring a curse down on the village.

Shaking his head to rid him of the memories, Youko stood up, and walked out of the cave he called home. Hunger pangs were starting to plague him, so the boy went down to the lake. Leaning over the edge, he dipped one of his clawed hands into the cold, clear water, and quickly grabbed a fish from its depths. His claws dug into the fish, trying to keep a grip on the slippery creature while he walked back to the mouth of his waterfall cave. The fox then sat down, and hungrily began to eat the fish, taking large bites and eating quickly.

His senses were telling him that something was coming and that he would have to abandon his home for a while, not that anyone cared or would be looking for him. Youko sighed at that bitter thought, and quickly began to think of where he could go. He couldn't go into town; they would just chase him out like all the others. Digging a den under a tree's roots would take too long, and he couldn't risk the time. He had to find somewhere now.

Not bothering to pack anything but the clothes on his back, he ran from the cave for dear life. Soon he heard what he was running from, and looked back. Four men with black masks covering their faces were galloping towards him on horseback. He ran as fast as he could, but soon, they caught up to him. There was no escape for Youko, and soon they encircled him.

Youko couldn't escape, he was trapped. The only thing he could do was fight. He braced himself by placing his left foot behind him and making his hands into fists. The hair on the back of his neck and tail bristled in an attempt to make him appear larger than he was. The four men laughed, and one of them drew his weapon, which happened to be a leather whip with sharp nails at the tip. He flicked it at the fox, who jumped back and growled menacingly. Youko's vulpine sound only made the men laugh and strike harder.

The assailants didn't give the poor boy a chance to defend himself. After one would attack, another followed right behind. Their strategy was to charge at him and corner him, and then attack from behind. The only thing poor Youko could do was avoid the best he could in the small space allotted to him.

Soon, he was too tired to dodge all of the attacks, and kept getting hit time after time. The men were finished toying with him, and attacked him all at once. Youko was able to dodge the whip, but was grabbed by two others, who held the struggling fox while the fourth clubbed him on the head.

Youko whimpered, and crumpled to the ground. The men laughed loudly, pleased with their find, and took out some rope. Two of them held onto his wrists and ankles just in case he woke up, and the other two worked quickly to bind and gag him. Their leader then picked the unconscious boy up, and threw him roughly over his horse's rump. He gave the signal, and the others mounted their rides and rode off.

These men traveled quickly, going to the trading town of Gandara. About half-way there, the young kitsune woke up. He blinked his large golden eyes in an effort to help focus them, and quickly regained his senses. He struggled fruitlessly against the bindings in an attempt to break free, but to no avail. After many minutes of struggling, Youko gave up, and went limp whilst whimpering the best he could while gagged.

Youko's sides ached from being beaten by the men. And the constant vibration of the steady galloping didn't help one bit. He winced here and there; pretty positive he had broken a rib or two. The kitsune struggled to get loose again, but only received a sharp pain from his side in exchange. Youko's ears drooped in defeat, and contented himself with watching the scenery pass by.

"After all," he thought, "once they see my eyes, they'll either cast me away or kill me." The thought of death idly passed through his mind as the boy continued to count the trees, twitching his tail around every once and a while. Oftentimes, Youko would think of death. It wasn't something he feared; he saw it as a reprieve for him, a sanctuary. "Death," he thought. "What a funny thing to fear."

Soon the steady sound of hooves against earth lulled the fox into a dreamless sleep. Just as his breathing became rhythmic with the clopping of the hooves, the city was in view. The men whooped, and quickened their pace, entering the town of Gandara. The loud noises of the town were magnified because of Youko's sensitive hearing, and he awoke, twitching both silver ears in irritation.

The people on the bustling streets made way for the hollering men, and peered at their prize. The boy could snag particles of whispered conversations here and there, but he soon wished he didn't. Talk about rather risqué things that could be done to him mixed with the gossip about his eyes, swirling in the kitsune's mind and making him feel ill. Never in his life had he gotten this much attention, not to mention attention in a sexual way.

The men continued on, moving to a shadier part of the town, where most of the slave trading took place. Youko, now fully interested, raised his head a little higher for a better view, but was roughly pushed back down by one of the men. He tried to growl, but due to the gag, it sounded more cute and pathetic than menacing. Receiving a slap to the face, the boy resigned himself to his fate, and waited quietly for what was going to happen next.

Soon, the ride came to an end, and the horses stopped outside of a very large open-aired market. The men dismounted, leaving Youko behind, and walked over to where someone was waiting for them. That someone happened to be one of the auctioneers of the market, and he looked very pleased with the three. Youko looked up again - this time without punishment – just as they were finishing discoursing and walked over to the restrained fox.

The auctioneer was much less burlier than his compadres, and had oily brown hair with a very greasy looking ponytail. His small, beady eyes were green, and were placed above an extremely crooked nose. Despite his slick appearance, the man seemed to be wearing rather nice clothing made of fine material. It was many rich colors, mostly red, gold, and blue. Youko took a good look at the man before he was roughly pulled off the rump of the horse and forced to stand before them all.

The new man looked him over carefully, inspecting every inch of him. He especially paid close attention to the fox's soft, silvery fur. Youko's tail bristled when the man ran a gnarled hand through his silver locks, and the boy gave the man a fearful glance. Finally finished with his inspection, the man returned to his place by Youko's captors.

"Well, he doesn't look fit for physical labor, but he sure is a looker. I'm sure we can sell him to a pleasure seeker," the man said whilst grinning. "The only setback is the fox's eyes, but we can fix that. He's not the first Kogane to be sold here, and he won't be the last. You've done well gentlemen; he's surely worth a pretty penny."

_Kogane is Japanese for golden, and I have decided to use it as a term the people of this universe call the small group of people who possess golden eyes._

The men whooped happily, glad to have found such a good catch. Meanwhile, as their celebrations continued, realization was coursing through the ensnared fox's body, flooding his thoughts like poison. He was trapped, and there was no way to escape the iron grasp captivity had on him. Youko was to be a slave, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Suddenly, a man and a woman appeared next to the boy, each grasping one of the ropes that bound him. The two were twins, and both had jet black hair, ebony eyes, and pointed ears. The woman was smaller than the man, and had much creamier skin whereas the man was taller and tanner. Youko struggled to be free of the ropes, but that only caused them to grow tighter until he gave up. The richly-clothed man smiled widely, and stroked the boy's cheek lightly.

"We seem to have a feisty one this time. I believe," he said, "that he will indeed be a fair price. Mayumi, Kensaku, go get him ready. I want him to be up for sale before the auctions close."

The two holding Youko's ropes bowed their heads, and led the bound fox away from the others and into one of the buildings. The kitsune's eyes widened at the site of all the humans and demons alike being held in small cages. They were all bound in chains and most of them had dull eyes devoid of spirit. Fear spread through him at the thought of turning out just like them, and he tried to break free again.

Mayumi and Kensaku took no notice to him, however, and led him to another room past the broken figures. There Kensaku threw him on the ground roughly and Mayumi attached too-small shackles to his wrists and ankles. A heavy metal collar with a thick chain attached was placed around his neck, making it hard for him to move it and breath. Pleased with their work, Mayumi and Kensaku peered down at the poor fox, who, much to his chagrin, was starting to lose hope.

Mayumi seemed to have taken interest in him, and kept looking into his eyes. "His eyes are beautiful. I've never seen a Kogane before. Such a beautiful color," she remarked.

"That's because most of them are either killed or live alone. The Kogane are very unlucky, you know," Kensaku informed her. "And now, we should do as Master wishes and make sure he's not identified."

Youko snapped out of his dulled state for a moment, and gazed at the two. "They're slaves! That means that they were in the same position as me once," he thought bitterly.

Mayumi nodded to Kensaku, and picked up some of the fine, trampled and grainy dirt off the ground. She then pulled on the chain attached to the boy's neck, and jerked him forward so their faces were close. She then moved her outstretched hand with the dirt in it between them, and blew it into Youko's eyes. He violently jerked back, making the collar dig into the soft skin on his neck and whimpered as the granules settled into his golden eyes.

No matter how hard he tried to free his vision of the dirt, it still wouldn't help. Mayumi smirked, and slackened her hold on his chain. "Well Kensaku, we should bring him up to Master. He'll be pleased with our work," she commented, and jerked Youko to his feet.

Youko yelped, and his tail bristled, making it fluffier than before. He was then led blindly upwards and outside of the building, as far as he could tell. The many smells of town swept into his nose, and his ears swiveled around rapidly. How the poor fox yearned to see! But, alas, a few granules still hindered his vision.

The same man as before came before the three, and grinned widely. "Excellent work you two. Now, place him over there. This one should go quickly." He laughed and walked off, leaving the two demons to do as they were told. After many jerks and more yelps, Youko was forced to a sitting position on a platform, awaiting his fate like so many others before him.

Not but a minute later, a rather frightened looking man approached the boy, looking him over carefully. Though he couldn't see, Youko could tell that he was here, and rather sick with fear. The boy whiffed the air, seeing if he could find anything else about the man. The man, in fact, was a demon, and strangely of an odd blend of cleaning materials and burning leaves. Youko wondered if the man was of the fire element. Another whiff told the fox that the demon was extremely nervous, and in a rush.

Youko growled softly as the man gently touched his skin. His hand recoiled slightly, but he soon gained confidence, and motioned for the auctioneer to come to him. The oily man approached him, and bowed to the nervous demon.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"How much is this fox, and what can you tell me about him?" the demon demanded, trying to sound intimidating, but his quivering and fast speaking blew it for him.

"The fox, why, he's sixty gold pieces. I know, it sounds steep for something like him, but let me first tell you of his worth. As you can see, he has a frail, but beautiful body. Surely not suitable for working, but, as for pleasure... That's something else entirely my friend. The boy's beautiful figure, his silky hair, as fine and beautiful as the purest of silver, his fur, so soft, so warm. I can assure you, he will not disappoint you in that department."

The nervous demon brought his hand to his chin, his thumb raised onto it while the remaining four acted as a sort of rest. It was obvious that he was in deep contemplation, battling with himself over the boy.

Oh, how Youko wished to be free!! His heart was pounding, and he was beginning to quiver with fear. He didn't want to be a slave, especially one for pleasure, though he didn't know what that meant. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"What's wrong with his eyes? I've been here for a few minutes, but he has not once opened them."

The man smirked; here was where those acting classes paid off.

"He's a fox, and a smart man like you should know that foxes are sensitive to light. I captured this one myself, and can tell you that his eyes are a beautiful pearl green. Simply wonderful to look into and forget your problems, while doing... other things with him."

The demon nodded, and looked satisfied.

"I'll take him," he said. "Lord Hiei should find this one acceptable. Did you know he's gone through three slaves just this week? His temper has really risen for some reas-" he stopped suddenly, and just paid the man the gold pieces. The demon had done it again; he had gossiped.

The man shook the silent demons hand, and ordered the twins to unchain Youko. All through this time, Youko had been quivering, but now, he was shaking violently. Though he was blind, he could still tell that he was sold, and going to this "Lord Hiei" person. For some reason, the name had sounded familiar to him, but he was not sure where he had heard it.

Finally, they were ready to go. The demon led Youko by the collar to a horse-drawn cart. It looked rather old and rickety, and the wood seemed worn. The man attached Youko's chain to the back, and both he and the demon literally threw the fox into the back of the cart. The demon clambered into the front, sat down, and with a quick click of the overly long reigns, they were off to this Lord Hiei's castle.

Youko looked out the back of the cart on the receding town. The golden sun was setting, becoming red like the dawn.

"Dawn... That's when this whole thing started, wasn't it? I wish... I wish that I was never born," Youko thought, and began to cry bitter tears.

**- - -**

Meanwhile, someone was watching over the fox. His nine golden tails swished in unison as he lazily viewed the scene from above. Golden eyes closed when the boy began to cry, but soon opened again and regained their same bored emotion.

"Soon, Youko," he thought, "you shall never cry again. I promise you that."


	2. Chapter II

**Author's Note: Thanks all who have read my story, and especially thanks to those of you who have reviewed. Since I'm not able to thank you all personally, consider this my thanks to you all!!**

- - -

"Lord Hiei, there is someone that wants to see you," a human messenger informed the small demon lounging in front of him.

His eyes, which were a brilliant garnet, were currently closed, and the usual bored expression crossed his face. He was adorned in a plain black shirt with the sleeves torn at the top of the shoulders, and black training pants held up by four slim, white belts. The pant legs were parachuted out by combat boots, and a long, thin sheath holding his weapon of choice was lying next to him.

Lord Hiei's hair was a deep black color, accented by spiky bangs highlighted in white. He covered up a special third eye he had implanted called a Jagan with a bandana just as white as the highlights.

The red-eyed demon opened one eye lazily to peer upon the cowering messenger. The human quivered under his steely gaze. Lord Hiei yawned, and caused the human to bow his head.

"Very well, let them in," he stated lazily, and shut his eyes again.

The messenger bowed, and left the room, only to return with a woman. She had short red hair, and blue eyes, one of which was covered by white cloth, serving as a mask. She was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under a purple vest with pure gold lining, and straight-legged green pants held up by a red sash. She stood before Hiei, her hands on her waist, tapping her elegantly green-slippered feet. Lord Hiei opened one eye again, and stared at her lazily.

"What do you want?" he asked her tersely.

"Some way to greet your better. You know I could have you killed," she said.

The demon lord laughed loudly, opening both eyes.

"Mukuro, you couldn't kill me if you tried, now tell me what you want, or get out."

"What makes you think I want something? Is it a crime for a Baroness to see her heir?"

The demon glared at her, and flipped over.

"I'm busy. Don't bother me unless there's something I should know. Now, get out!"

Mukuro smirked, and walked away. Angering her little heir was very fun. The human messenger bowed deeply, and followed behind her. Meanwhile, in his room, Lord Hiei moved to a more comfortable position, and fell into a small nap.

- - -

"That man," Youko thought, trying to find a comfortable spot to lie down. "No matter how much I try, I can't forget him... He took so much from me: my freedom, and my site. Why?"

He shuffled around blindly still looking for the one comfortable spot, and started causing a ruckus. The demon driver turned around to face the scrambling fox. He flicked the whip in his hand close to the fox's face, causing him to yelp and stop.

"If I were you, I would learn to be quiet," he scolded, and turned around without a word.

Youko remained in the same position, and lay down; this spot would just have to do. He shuffled around so he was facing the sky, and began to sniffle. The sky, which had started to cloud over when the demon had purchased Youko, now unleashed its heavy burden of precipitation, falling right onto the little wagon.

The demon cursed about not having a _covered _wagon, and pulled on his hat, while the fox in the back let out a sigh of relief. The cool rain felt good on his face, which was hot and flushed from crying. His wounds received earlier were cleaned by the gentle, soothing rain, and the sand was washed from his eyes.

The driver clicked the reigns, which made the horses run faster, and a castle loomed over the horizon. Youko dozed off in the cool shower, unaware of the new master he was soon to have.

- - -

"GODFREY!!!"

The yell echoed through the hollow halls of the castle as a very pissed hiyoukai awoke to NO wine by his side, NO small snacks to munch on, and NO servant. This did not loom well for the poor fellow. Lord Hiei stormed out of his room and stomped into the baroness's chambers, ready to take the matter up with her.

Meanwhile, at the exact same time, Godfrey, the demon servant who had purchased Youko for his master, was entering the castle with a rudely-awakened-still-sleepy fox behind him. His eyes were now opened, and the kitsune was happily relieved to find that he could see again. However, due to fatigue and his recent nap, his eyes were droopy and barely visible under his long lashes, giving him the appearance that they were indeed a different color than what they truly were.

Godfrey took off his wet hat and overcoat, and handed the soon-to-be rusty chains connected to the fox to a maid, who led him away, knowing what was to be done with him. Youko looked around dazed- this castle was huge! He tried to keep up with all the twists and turns, but deemed it impossible. He felt dazed, so just kept his eyes on the ground, not really caring where he was going anymore- it all led to one thing anyway.

He sighed sadly, and entered a large room with the maid, who quickly handed him off as if he were a rotten piece of food to the next maid. The boy inhaled deeply, trying to prevent himself from going into a violent fit, and caught a whiff of something appealing. The room he was in was a bath chamber. The warm water laced with flowery oils and fresh linens smelled so welcoming.

Youko was so wrapped up in the welcoming smells that he didn't notice the new maid and two others were removing the wet, tight chains from around him. In fact, he didn't notice anything around him until the heavy neck chain dropped from a young girl's hands onto the floor with a giant "_Bang!_"all the more magnified by his keen demonic fox hearing.

The boy was so frightened that he jumped abruptly, causing the wound on his stomach to throb violently. He clutched it tightly, falling to his knees. Fresh tears he had tried so hard to hold back hit the floor, and sobs wracked his body.

One of the older maids took a notice of this, and bent down to the boy. She felt so sorry for the pretty little fox who was soon to become Lord Hiei's. Boogeyman stories about him and his violent tendencies flooded the castle, and this little boy in front of her was probably to be his next victim. She hugged him tightly, letting him sob into her shoulder.

"Shh, let it out, just let it all out. Things will be fine," she soothed, rubbing circles on his back.

Youko breathed deeply, and stopped crying. This was the first time someone had ever shown him any sort of love, and he didn't know what to do. His instinct was telling him to escape, that she would do something to him, but something else was telling him to stay there. He enjoyed the warmth and wonderful, albeit strange emotion she was showing him, and closed his eyes contentedly.

The woman gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and let go. She stood up, and outstretched her hand to the fox, pulling him up with her.

"T-th-thank you," Youko stuttered, keeping his head shamefully down.

The last thing he wanted to do was to show her his golden eyes. The woman returned the smiled, and the two younger maids began to lead Youko to the large, steamy bath that awaited him. They then began to take off his tattered clothes, causing him to yip and bristle up. He did, after all, still have his dignity and pride.

After a bit of growling, scratching, biting, and reprimanding, the boy was finally undressed and in the water while the maids were bandaging their hands. The water felt absolutely wonderful to the aching fox. Its heat soothed his wounds and erased the memories of the day from him temporarily. He was ready to close his eyes when suddenly a pair of hands reached for him.

Frightened, he backed away from them, but was soon caught by the old woman. She gently petted his ears and made shushing sounds in an effort to calm the terrified fox. He fearfully looked up at her, golden eyes reflecting the dim light of the bath. The woman, however, didn't seem to be taken aback by the color of his eyes, and just soothed the boy more.

The gentle ministrations of her hands on his ears reduced the fox to a mere purring blob. This allowed the now irritated servants of the bath to wash him without mishap. Two took to cleaning his body while another worked on his silver hair, which was a giant mass of tangles and dirt to say the least. Youko winced here and there as the man used his hands to work his way through the tangles, but remained relatively calm under the loving care of the woman's hands.

Soon the fox was clean, and picked up out of the bath. A warm fluffy white towel was wrapped around him, and the same man that was tending his hair earlier took to brushing it. The man cursed sometimes at the state of his hair, but soon was able to rid it of any tangles, and was brushing through it quite easily, making it considerably drier with each stroke.

"Such soft hair," he mused. "It's like liquid silver."

He soon backed away as a demon girl came in with his now washed and mended white outfit. She left it next to him and let the boy dress himself, which he gladly did. He took off the towel, and gave himself a shake, removing the excess water from his hair and fur. He looked around nervously, and then dressed quickly. Being a youko, he was a very vain creature by nature, and being naked in front of strangers he didn't know was cutting into Youko's pride.

After about five minutes, a servant came but with some salve, which he rubbed onto Youko's bruised wrists. The cooling effect felt so wonderful against the burning bruises, and Youko couldn't help but sigh contentedly. The old woman came back in once she was sure that it was alright, and the man left.

"Now that you're cleaned up, let's have a little chat," she said cheerfully. "What's your name, young one?"

Youko looked away sadly. He didn't want to tell the woman the truth.

"Go on," she urged, "or do you want me to tell you mine, first?"

The boy nodded slowly.

"My name is Anna."

"An-na?" Youko asked.

The woman nodded.

"Yes. It probably sounds awkward to you, doesn't it?"

Youko blushed and nodded again.

"That's because my name originates from somewhere else. I was born in a city called Belize on a different continent. I moved here with my husband, who's a spice merchant."

"I don't really have a name," Youko confessed softly. "No one ever gave me one, and those who did talk to me just called me Youko. I guess you could call it my name, if you wanted."

The woman frowned.

"No one wanted anything to do with me," Youko continued, "because of my eyes. My mother abandoned my four siblings and me when we were very young, and our father was never a part of our life. So, we lived on the streets. My brothers and sisters were all taken in, but I wasn't."

"Because you're a Kogane," Anna presumed.

"Aa."

"Poor dear. It's silly how people can believe that you're cursed by having beautiful eyes."

Youko smiled; he felt very content at this moment. To him, Anna was as close as a mother as he had ever had, and he didn't want to lose her. He was starting to believe that life here wouldn't be so bad, especially if everyone here was like Anna.

All too soon though, just as he was getting comfortable, a guard came in for Youko. He roughly pulled him up and out of the room, not even giving him a chance to say goodbye to the woman who had been so nice to him.

Youko whimpered; he suddenly felt alone again. The guard led him through a different way then he had been before, and he was beginning to feel extremely sick. He didn't know what was coming next, but his intuition was telling him that he wouldn't like it, whatever it was. A sudden wave of nausea caught him off guard, and he stopped behind the guard, crouched down, and vomited on the polished marble floors.

The guard stopped when he heard the rather unpleasant sound of vomit hitting clean floors, and snorted in disgust.

"Hurry up, fox! I don't have all day to waste on something like you. And be ready to clean that up, later," he sneered.

Youko looked at him with big, sad eyes, and stood up shakily. He wiped his mouth on his hand, and followed the guard at a much slower pace than before, in fear of losing the last of the fish in his system.

The guard led him up many flights of steps until they reached a grand door. It was made of the finest cherry wood in the land, and had pure gold and jewel encrusted doors. On the paneling of the door were carvings of various creatures battling with dragons of all shapes and sizes, most of them with fangs bared and claws extended. The guard knocked loudly, waiting for the door to his master to be opened.

- - -

Inside those very doors, Lord Hiei was having a small meeting with Godfrey. So far, Godfrey's future didn't look too promising, and he could smell a lynching approaching. The hiyoukai was not happy at all with him, no matter what excuses he gave him.

"There are a few things I don't tolerate in this world, Godfrey. One of them happens to be servants who don't do what they are supposed to."

Godfrey, who was already shaking violently, bowed low to the ground, and began to shake even more than before, if that was even possible.

"I'm s-sorry M-milord, b-b-but I-I have so-so-something f-for y-y-you. Please f-forgive me," he stammered quickly, now fully on the ground.

Oh yes, there was _definently_ a lynching in his future

Just then, a knock from outside was heard, and Godfrey thanked every god he knew for it silently. Lord Hiei smirked.

"Very well, Godfrey. Let's hope I like it, or there _will_ be a lynching in your future. Now, get the door; I want to see my gift."

- - -

The same golden eyes that watched before continued to gaze down on the scene below. The owner of them smiled; things were progressing quicker than he planned. Just as the door was being opened in the world below, a golden youko entered his chambers, bowing lowly to the ground.

Said youko was a priest, and wore lavish golden robes decorated with images of grain, multitudes of fruit, and foxes. He stood up from his bow, but kept his head down to the other being.

"Inari-sama, Amaterasu-sama wishes to speak with you," he said.

Inari sighed.

"Let her in."

The youko bowed, and the goddess of the sun entered. She was a lovely goddess, with black almond shaped eyes, and beautiful black hair pulled into a tight bun. She wore a kimono that seemed to be made of the sun.

Its cloth looked like liquid as it glided across the pure white floors of the temple in the heavens the god of the harvest resided in. Elegant patterns of phoenixes, flowers, and the sun itself were sewn into the kimono, and the whole thing radiated a great light.

"Were you watching him again, Inari?" she asked, taking a seat on a rich cushion.

"And if I was?" Inari snapped.

"I was just wondering, dear Inari-san. After all, it would bother me so if you kept obsessing over the poor child and didn't attend any of our festivities or banquets."

Inari snorted.

"Save your sympathies for someone who cares. I'd rather stay in here and watch what's going on in the world of the living than celebrate some pointless ritual with gods."

"Very well, Inari, but I really am worried about this obsession with that boy. Don't let your grief consume you; you're much too important," the goddess warned, and excused herself.

Inari skulked in his large jeweled throne.

"The child is important, too, dear Amaterasu-sama. You know that as much as I do."

- - -

_For those not too familiar with the Shinto deities, let me give some background. Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun, and is said to be the founder of the islands of Japan. She is the supreme deity of the religion, and therefore, has the respect of all the gods._

_Inari is the god of rice and the harvest. He uses the fox as his messenger and symbol. Because of this, many have adapted the idea of Inari as the god of foxes and of the demonic fox race. I myself am one of those, and so have portrayed him in such a way._


	3. Chapter III

**A/N: And now, the famous shout outs.**

_**Chapter 1**_

**Zidet**

**Psychogirly**

**Light Side**

**YoukoLuVeR**

**What2callmyself**

**Anon**

**SilverWolf**

**DarkangelWings1324**

**Yucya (First flame ever, thanks so much for that! 3 I'm glad my story pissed you off! Next time though, please flame about the actual story/writing style and not the pairing. That just made you sound a tad… immature.)**

**Holly**

**Ilovekurama13**

**Soko, Kurama's Girl**

_**Chapter 2**_

**Psychogirly**

**What2callmyself**

**KB**

**Light Side**

**BabbleQueen**

**Rekka**

**Kitsune Kit**

**DarkangelWings1324**

**Kurama-hieigirl25**

**Yaoi Addict**

**Hedi Dracona**

**Miyori**

**Thank you everyone for you inspiration!!!**

**- - -**

One of the two large doors opened rather rapidly, and the guard walked in, the fox entering behind him. He looked around, completely awed by the room. Never had he ever seen anything so expensive and beautiful! This Lord Hiei was rich indeed to have a room such as this.

Beautiful tapestries depicting rather gory scenes of famous mythological battles bedecked the eastern wall of the large chamber, while equally gory scenes of battles the owner of the room had taken place in hung from the walls adjacent to it. On the western wall hung many swords from around the world, all of which gleamed with a promise of death. That leaves only one wall left, which is mostly taken up by the large, intricate doors. Said doors leave only room for some hanging tapers on each side.

The furniture was luxurious, but not too overdone, which surprised the boy since everything else seemed to be. There really wasn't much in there other than a large canopy bed draped with black curtains, a small writing area in the corner, a chair here and there to entertain guests, and a nightstand.

A rough tug at the neck made the kitsune stop, and stare straight ahead of him. The guard holding the obnoxious chain was prostrating himself in front of someone. A loud sound of wood hitting wood echoed through the room, magnified by the wooden floor. The same servant who purchased Youko squirmed uncomfortably and soon took his place kneeling on one knee next to the guard.

"Godfrey."

The servant, who Youko now knew to be named Godfrey, looked up.

"Y-yes milord?" he asked, fear lacing every word.

"What have I told you about slamming the door?"

"I'm sorry Lord Hiei. It won't happen again."

"You're right; it won't."

Godfrey gulped rather loudly, and what ever color was left in his face completely drained out of it. The poor demon was whiter than anything Youko had ever seen. Of course, anyone could understand why he was that way. We are dealing with a rather hot-tempered demon Lord after all.

"You disobeyed me, Godfrey, and for that, you must be punished," the Lord said in a voice so deathly calm that one could tell something horrible was bound to happen.

The melodic sound of death made the captive fox's fur bristle up once again. Godfrey, who was virtually a mass of white, was able to sense it as well. It was like an Alfred Hitchcock horror film; he knew exactly what was going to happen, but waiting for it was agonizing torture. It was unbearable.

Then, in a flash, the fear was gone. A moment of bliss rushed through the demon, and then the pain kicked in. Intense and pure, it ripped through Godfrey's body like a hot knife through butter. You see, when Lord Hiei was angry or exasperated or particularly angry, he solved it. This time, Godfrey was lucky, for he escaped with his life. Countless creatures now in the afterlife wish they could say the same, but alas! they cannot.

Lord Hiei looked down at the sniveling demon. He could tell that Godfrey was doing the best he could not to show how much it truly hurt. The poor demon was breathing very quickly, he was gripping his nub of a hand while biting his lower lip so not to anger the Lord anymore, and silent tears of agony were dripping down his pale cheeks.

"I've spared your life, Godfrey, because I rather like this new addition to my collection."

He slowly walked up to the boy, who was so scared of this small stranger that he didn't know how to react. His primordial instincts took over, and sent a wave of fear through his body like a tremor. He struggled vainly against the bindings, but was kept in place. Lord Hiei chuckled, and grabbed the boy's chin. This action made him completely freeze, and the hiyoukai pulled him down so that their faces were inches apart, their lips close enough to meet.

"Rather like him indeed."

The guard looked up at his master, and then to the boy.

"But sir, he's a Kogane. You know what they say about them."

Hiei turned to the guard, who looked away and bowed his head hastily.

"Are you calling me a naïve fool who'll believe meaningless gossip? Do you really doubt your lord that much?"

"N-no milord. I'm sorry for being so stupid."

Hiei smirked.

"I'll let it slide this time. Next time, though, I cannot guarantee anything. Now leave, and take them with you."

The guard bowed, and got up. He yanked Youko's chain, making the boy gag and follow, his tail between his legs. Godfrey stood up silently, still clutching his nub of an arm tightly.

"Godfrey, I expect you to be back here in five minutes cleaning your blood off the floor before it stains."

"Hai, Hiei-sama," Godfrey said, and retreated out of the room hastily, shutting the double doors gently.

Lord Hiei smirked, and went back to lounging on his bed, shutting his eyes again and falling into a small nap. If Godfrey woke him up, the Lord swore that he wouldn't escape with just a lost hand.

Meanwhile, outside of the room, Godfrey and the guard went in different directions down the hall, with Youko in tow behind the guard, still feeling quite disheartened and terrified. Now that he had met the demon lord that was to be his new master, he sensed that life would just get harder and harder for him.

His thoughts trailed back to the hiyoukai. He was indeed worthy of the title "Lord" to the boy. Youko couldn't help but admire him a bit, with his looks, obsidian black hair accented with a tad of white, and eyes such a deep garnet they rivaled the gem. He quickly shook his head, remembering a quote he heard a long time ago from some person or the other: "Looks can be deceiving."

This was indeed true when it came to Lord Hiei. Though he looked rather small and weak, Youko could indeed tell that he was very powerful; especially after the little show he was given. He shuddered to think of what could happen to him if he disobeyed the little Lord.

As they walked through the same corridors of earlier, the guard looked down at where Youko's little mess had been.

"You're lucky fox; someone's already cleaned it up."

With a violent tug, he was urged on, so the fox kept walking. He began to feel dizzy again as the numerous corridors and spiraling staircases passed by. Suddenly, the human stopped, and Youko, not noticing this, ran into him. He was roughly pushed down and yanked onto the ground, with his head touching his chest.

Youko looked up, and saw a woman pass by. She had short hair which was orange in color, and was wearing a simple outfit consisting of a white long-sleeved shirt under a purple vest lined with gold and green pants held by a red sash. One half of her face was covered by a pure white cloth, which served as a mask, while the other half seemed completely normal. Her eye that was visible was a pure Prussian blue, while the other remained hidden.

He had no idea who she was, but it was pretty clear that she was important around here. The woman stopped in front of the two, and looked down. Her hands were balled and resting on her hips while her face held a scowl and her lips were pursed together tightly, making them seem white.

"What, may I ask, are you doing away from your post? And with that _creature_?" she asked the guard none too kindly.

"Lord Hiei ordered that I take his gift to the slave quarters, milady," he said, and bowed lower.

"I see. This is the Kogane rumors have been spreading about, then?"

"Hai, Mukuro-sama."

Mukuro bent down at the waist to look at Youko closer.

"Lift your head, boy. Let me see your face."

Youko hesitated for a moment, but then cautiously looked up at her. She studied him closely, and then straightened back up again. Youko quickly looked to the ground as she did so, and inhaled deeply to suppress his ever-growing terror.

"He's nothing special. I've seen prettier foxes than him. I don't understand why Hiei would want to keep such a thing. Continue with your duties, and then get back to your post!"

With that, she left, going to see her heir and talk about the rubbish he brought into her castle. The guard stood up, and led Youko, who was extremely offended and hurt at being called 'rubbish', down to the slave area.

They were located in the very lowest levels of the castle next to the kitchen and utility areas. The passageway was musty and filled with mold, and very dark. The torches were low, and there were few windows. Doors lined the passage, each marked with a number and appearing very unwelcome.

The guard led Youko to room 246, and opened it. He roughly pushed the fox inside, who squealed indignantly. The human then busied himself with undoing the uncomfortable chain around the slave' neck, which was a major hindrance to Youko's breathing. After that was done, the guard kicked him further into the room, and slammed the door shut behind him, hurrying to his post before he upset the Baroness.

After getting up, Youko immediately brought his hands to his neck, massaging it gently in hopes of gaining back some circulation. When that was done, he looked around the room, which was now his new home. It was pretty dank and depressing, to be all honest, and he would have preferred to be out in the open air instead.

The walls and ceiling were made of stone, which was wet and had mold and algae growing on it. The floor was also stone, and two mediocre pallets made of torn up rags and blankets laid across from each other on it. Two torches, their flames low, stood on either side of the large wooden door, providing the only source of light in the room besides a small barred window a good ten feet above the floor.

Youko's golden eyes skimmed the room, taking in every detail possible until they came upon the pallet closest to the east wall. Laying on it and staring back at him was a boy about his age. He was a bat demon with black hair that cascaded over his shoulders and stopped at about the square of his back, a mixture of dark blue and indigo eyes, and pointed ears sticking out from under his hair.

Beside him was a rather odd wide-brimmed hat. It was missing the top, and the fox envisioned the top of the bat's head sticking out of it. He was already under the mismatched blankets of his pallet, so Youko couldn't tell what he was wearing, even with his keen vulpine seeing.

The two remained looking at each other for a good few minutes, each taking in the other as best they could. Finally, after some time, the bat talked.

"I've never seen you around here before. Are you new?" he asked.

Youko nodded slightly, still a tad unsure of how the boy would react to him. After all, he was a Kogane.

"Hai. I was just bought and taken here today."

"I see. You must be that new kid that all the maids are gossiping about. Stirred them all up in a tizzy, ya did! I've never seen them so flustered about someone other than Lord Hiei."

Youko looked puzzled; why would the maids be flustered about _him_, of all people.

"Why would they make such a fuss about me? I'm nothing special," Youko commented.

"Dunno. Some people are just stupid and have no common sense. Al l they care about is how someone looks or whatnot. Really annoys the hell outta me, too."

Youko smiled, he liked the boy a lot. They seemed to have a lot in common in the thinking department, and he was sure that this boy would be the first friend he had ever had, if you didn't count the older maid, Anna.

"My name's Kuronue, by the way. What's yours?" Kuronue asked.

"People just call me Youko. So I guess that's my name," Youko said bluntly.

"Didn't your mother ever give you a name?"

Youko should his head.

"Iie. She abandoned my siblings and me when we were very young. The last thing I can remember of her was her cursing me, and calling me 'Kurama'."

"Kurama, eh? Well! I'll just give ya a name! From now on, you'll be known as Youko Kurama!"

Youko smiled, and sat down on the pallet opposite of Kuronue.

"I like that name a lot, thanks Kuronue."

"Call me Kuro; it's shorter, simpler, and way easier to say! Plus, the ladies seem to like it a lot."

Youko laughed, making Kuro smile.

"Welcome to Room 246, Youko Kurama. It ain't lavish, but it's better than nothin'" Kuronue said.

"Youko Kurama's pretty long, too. You can just call me either Youko, or Kurama if you want," Youko said.

Kuronue nodded.

"Right! Can do, Kurama."

Youko stifled a yawn, and curled up on the pallet. It wasn't the best thing to have, but to him, it felt wonderful. It sure beat the heck out of cave floors.

"How about I show ya the ropes? I can show ya everything!" Kuronue said enthusiastically.

"Can we do it tomorrow? I've had a rather… _long_ day, and I'd like to rest a bit," Youko nearly begged.

"Sure! Like I always say: Procrastination is bliss!"

With that said, Kuronue smiled and flipped on his side, facing the wall away from his new friend.

"G'night, Kurama!"

"Night, Kuro."

With that said and done, both boys slept, knowing that they had both found someone who was to become their best and most trusted friend.

- - -

Inari smiled. He knew that meddling with the living world was a good idea. After all, the living world could change while the Heavens could not.

Meeting Kuronue was probably the best thing that the god of the harvest could do for the youko for now. He sat back, and shut his eyes. Immediately the image of the two sleeping in the dingy room disappeared from the pool of water, and he stood up. Perhaps it was time to join the celebration in the banquet room, and stop watching over him just this one time.

He stood up, and left his temple, eager to laugh and rejoice with his friends instead of watching his favorite fox. After all, what could happen to him tonight?


	4. Chapter IV

**Thanks to:**

_**Star-Goddess Z**_

_**DarkangelWings1324**_

_**Shadow**_

_**Black Fire**_

_**Legolas19**_

_**Rose**_

_**Kooriya Yui**_

_**ForeverFornever**_

_**What2callmyself**_

_**Kitsune Kit**_

_**Hedi Dracona**_

- - -

Dawn slowly crept onto the scene of Baroness Mukuro's castle, signaling the start of a new work day. Though the hour was still early, and neither the Baroness nor her nobles were awake, preparations for their breakfast and daily routines were already underway.

The kitchen was alive with busy kitchen maids and cooks, who hurriedly prepared the dishes for breakfast under the head chef, a man who was hired directly from the city of Rome on a far away continent. The slaves who worked in the kitchen busily cleaned the floors and dishes, and brought in the ingredients.

Every inch of the castle, save the private quarters of the nobles who resided there, was to be cleaned each day with no excuses to why it was not done. The Baroness was a very vain woman, and if anyone or anything made her look bad, well, the gods take pity on them, for it would _not _be a pleasant thing.

Meanwhile, in a certain room of the slave quarters, a sleepy silver fox lay buried under the rags he used for blankets while a very disgruntled bat tried in vain to wake him. No matter how hard he tried, the young bat was unable to wake the silver fox. So far, he had tried yelling, punching, prodding, and smacking with pillows; he was currently poking his shoulder continuously.

"Kurama! HEY!! KURAMA!! WAKE UP!!" the boy yelled, still poking the bony shoulder of his sleeping friend.

The rising sun hit the small window, and its rays cascaded down through the dirty glass to hit the fox's face. Youko Kurama, who was used to waking up by the sun ever since he was able to see, opened both eyes slowly, and did a catlike stretch on his pallet, making his fur bristle for a moment before he sat up.

"Morning, Kuro. How long have you been awake?" the silver fox asked cheerfully.

Kuronue scoffed, and hit Youko on the head.

"We were supposed to be at breakfast half an hour ago! Man, you sleep hard! I've been trying to get you up for forty-five minutes!"

Youko looked down, and his ears drooped.

"Sorry, Kuro, I just have never had a sleep as… _nice_ as that. Not even when my mother still took care of me," Youko said, and stood up.

Kuronue looked at him weirdly, and then stood up as well.

"You're pretty weird to think that sleeping on old straw and rags is comfortable. I can't tell you how many times some of that damn stuff pokes through the thin cloth and pricks me during the night. I wake up with scratches all the time," Kuro said, and led his friend out of the room. "If we're lucky, breakfast should still be served, and if we eat quickly, we'll be alright."

Youko nodded, and the two picked up their pace, coming to a jog as they passed other slaves, human and demon alike, walking in the other direction towards their assigned jobs. Approximately seven minutes later and three floors down, they reached the large dining area for the servants and slaves of the castle. Kuro was right; breakfast was still being served and many people were still eating.

The noise was extremely irritating to the fox, but he wouldn't complain. He hadn't had a hot meal in a long time, and he was very hungry, having not eaten since yesterday morning. His friend led him to a line, and handed the fox a small wooden bowl. Kuro then proceeded to fill his bowl with some rice and steamed vegetables, picked up a pair of flimsy wooden chopsticks, and waited for Youko at the end of the line.

Youko followed Kuronue's example, and began to prepare his own breakfast, filling his bowl with more rice and less vegetables. Kitsunes loved rice after all. He reached Kuronue, and the two made their way through the ever-thinning crowd to a deserted table. There, the two sat down, and began eating quickly; there was a time limit after all, and getting in trouble for breaking it wasn't a wise thing to do.

Youko ate ravenously, and finished before Kuro, who was staring at the kitsune as if he had grown some unknown appendage straight out of his forehead. The fox set down his bowl sheepishly, and lightly placed his chopsticks in it. Kuronue shrugged, and continued eating, picking up his pace as well. When he was done, he picked up his bowl, and led the way to the deposit, where they both placed their empty utensils and flatware before walking out of the large dining hall.

"You shouldn't have eaten that fast; you'll get a stomach ache, and that won't be good while doing chores."

Youko looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry, I was just so hungry. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, and I didn't get to even finish that. When I saw the food, I ju-" Youko was cut off by a playful punch to the shoulder by his friend.

"It's all right! I was just kidding. Don't get so worked up about it," Kuronue said, smiling to Youko, who smiled back.

"Where are we going now, Kuro?" the fox asked.

"To get our chores. Those are usually given out at the entrance to the slave quarters, but sometimes – like if you have a job in the kitchen or something – they're given to you at dinner."

Youko nodded his head in understanding and followed Kuro out of the slave quarters and into the familiar main hallway of the castle he had walked through the other night. There was a large conglomeration of slaves huddled around three people who served as the overseers. Kuro pushed his way to the front, much to the older slaves' chagrin, and motioned for his friend to follow.

Youko, who was skittish by nature, felt awkward pushing through a crowd and bringing attention to himself. He was unsure about how people would react to him and his so-called oddity. The kitsune tried to follow the path that his friend made, but stumbled and ran into a middle-aged human. Youko gasped, and stood up quickly, bowing repeatedly to him and muttering apologies.

The man smirked, and brought the boy's face up to meet his. The fox tried to wheedle his way out of the man's iron grasp, but found that he was too weak. He looked up fearfully at the man, whose grin turned into a look of terror at the sight of his eyes. The man quickly threw the Kogane onto the floor. A sympathetic young girl bent down to help the fox up, but was stopped by the man's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch him; you'll be cursed. He's a Kogane," the middle-aged human spat out the last part like it was an extremely vulgar word, and the group of slaves inched away.

Instantly, there was a large circumference around Kurama, who stood up by himself, and looked down, shaking madly. Gossip started to spread through the groups like wildfire while some individuals took to spitting at him. Kuronue grew angry, and pushed himself through the crowd and over to Youko.

"What do you think you're doing? We're all slaves here; who cares about someone's eye color? We're already the lowest of low! If you believe that he's cursed, than you have no sense whatsoever! You dishonor the very place we live and work and the very person we serve if you act with such stupidity!"

His loud outburst silenced the crowd, and brought the attention of the overseers to the large throng. They roughly pushed their way through, bullying their way past plenty of already-frightened people. When the reached the center of the little gathering, the head overseer straightened himself up.

"What seems to be the trouble here?" he asked the human who pushed Youko.

The man pointed to the two in the center of the circle.

"That fox is a Kogane, sir. He was trying to curse me."

Youko looked up, and stepped forward.

"I-ie! That's not true! I wouldn't curse him! I don-"

"That's enough from you! You'll stay here after you've received your assignment, and then we'll discuss you're crime and the appropriate punishment. Understood?" the overseer barked.

Youko nodded, and looked down again.

"That's not fair, sir! Kurama wouldn't do anything like that! And I certainly don't think that just because his eyes are gold he would have any sort of power to do something so mean. From what I've seen, he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Kuronue objected.

"You were in trouble just two days ago, bat. Do you want the same punishment again?"

Kuronue was about to say something, but Youko stopped him. He opened his mouth, but shut it again, seeing that whatever he could say would be useless in the case of Youko's punishment. The three overseers then pushed their ways through the crowd and back to the front, where they started handing out orders. Both boys took their place in one of the lines that formed, and waited silently for their daily task.

Fortune smiled upon them; their assignment was a joined one: clean the third corridor of the sixteenth floor. Youko went off to the side, and waited somberly for what was to come. Kuro tried to stay behind with his friend, but he was harshly pushed away by the only human of the three overseers. He looked over his shoulder and smiled reassuringly to Youko as he ventured up to the sixteenth floor.

Soon, the last of the slaves left with their jobs, and the overseers were walking over to him. Youko felt alone and defenseless with these men; who knows what they could do to him? Well, the gods, but that's beside the point.

"So, boy, tell me, what curse were you going to place upon that man? Blindness? Paralysis? Or perhaps, was it death?" the stern voice of the leader questioned.

Youko looked up at him, every nerve in his body telling him to run.

"None, I don't know how to curse anyone. Honest!"

The three men laughed.

"Then why are your eyes that color? Certainly, being a Kogane, you know what they mean."

Youko nodded yes, and looked down. He didn't like these men, and intuition was telling him that something was definitely not right in the way they looked at him. The men grew ever closer, surrounding him, and the leader pulled him close. The fox yelped loudly, earning him a rough kiss on the lips from the man. He pulled and struggled to break away from the man, who was now holding the fox by the waste to his body.

The other two snickered, and watched the show with mirth. After the boss was done, it would be their turn with the defenseless boy, and they would be sure to enjoy every second of it.

- - -

Baroness Mukuro was angry. Not only was her heir defying her, but she also felt jealous of that _thing_ he accepted. She was baffled by the jealousy though; why would the great Baroness be jealous of a mere silver fox with the cursed gold eyes? It was just preposterous. She shrugged it off, placing it in her "things to mull over" part of her mind, and paid attention to the task at hand.

Hiei was in the middle of a before-breakfast nap, completely unaware of her company. Naturally, one would _never_ do that to the Baroness, but Hiei was a completely different case. In fact, he pretty much defied everything he could, even death itself. The hiyoukai defined the world "hellion" in its purest form.

Mukuro tapped her slippered foot on the ground impatiently, and placed her hands on her hips. Enough was enough; she would wake this demon up now.

"Hiei, wake up now! We need to talk."

No response. The small demon napped on. This really pissed the Baroness off.

"You're making me angry, Hiei. Wake up now, or you will suffer greatly."

Still no response. Mukuro huffed, and cuffed the demon on the side harshly. Hiei growled, and opened his eyes, ready to incinerate whatever disturbed his nap. He looked up to see the angry, scowling face of the Baroness. The demon yawned, and shut his eyes again.

"Don't you dare fall asleep again, Hiei. Open your eyes and look at me! We need to talk about that mongrel you brought in," she said.

"What I bring in and out is none of your business. And it so happens that the 'mongrel' you're referring to was a gift," he said calmly.

"He's a Kogane, Hiei. You know what they do. I don't know about you, but I don't want him to tarnish my reputation."

Hiei scoffed.

"He's mine, and I'll do what I want with him."

With that, he stood up, and left the room. Mukuro sighed; that demon was sure a handful. She shook her head, and walked out of the room. There was breakfast to get ready for, and after that meetings with her advisors; she couldn't be late on account of a single rebellious Lord.

- - -

Hiei trudged through the hallways, not exactly wanting to go to breakfast, but not wanting to show Mukuro that what she had said about the fox had gotten him worked up, though he didn't know why. He was extremely beautiful, though a tad too skinny. But that could be fixed. His eyes were amazing; the Lord had never seen anything like them before. They were such a rare color. No jewel or metal on any of the continents could even rival the golden irises the fox possessed.

While he was musing, a certain god that we all know and love had decided that the abuse young Youko was receiving should be stopped, so he subconsciously guided the demon to the main hallway, where the overseers were having their way with the fox. A loud squeaking and whimpering snapped Hiei out of his thoughts, and he looked to see the cause.

What he saw made the Lord growl and run over. His fox was surrounded by three men who were doing rather dirty things with him. The boy was completely helpless as they had their way with him, not at the point of raping him, but not too far from it. Hiei would not let this happen; the Lord's possessions were not to be used by people other than him.

Within seconds, he was behind them, grabbing the leader by his neck and roughly pulling him away. Youko was curled up on the ground with his eyes shut, trying to make himself as small as possible. He was panting slightly, and shaking like a leaf. Hiei took care of the guards quickly, killing them swiftly with his infamous sword, known for bringing a very painful death to those who crossed the wrong side of it.

When the smell of blood reached his nose, Youko lifted his head, and looked around for the source. When he was sure it wasn't his, he began to scan the hallway, his eyes landing on his master and the three corpses beside him. Hiei looked angry, extremely angry. Some would even say pissed.

Youko quickly lowered his head again, and covered it with his hands; who knows what his versatile owner would do to him. Hiei walked over to the fox, and placed a hand on him. The kitsune squealed, and cowered even more. The Lord, growing ever more impatient by the second, pulled him roughly out of the ball, and onto his feet.

Youko quivered, and bowed his head, looking down at the intricate patterns the marble tiles made. Hiei scoffed at him.

"Don't be so weak; I won't be there next time to help you. Either become stronger, or get killed, either way works for me."

With that said, he walked off towards breakfast. Youko shivered again, fixed his attire so Kuro wouldn't get suspicious, and walked the halls to the sixteenth floor.

- - -

After the night of celebration, Inari was again watching the young youko. He was outraged at the audacity of some of the lower world's creatures; how dare they insult him in such a way. If there was one thing he wouldn't take, it was the misuse of the very things he was a father figure to.

He was glad that he had sent the impulse into the fire demon's mind to kill those creatures, though he knew that Amaterasu would be angry with him. She hated when any of the gods tampered with the world which she carefully watched over.

He shrugged it off, and began watching again. He knew that soon, very soon, he would have to tamper again, and bring forth revelations that no god would mention or even speak of. But, deep in his heart, he knew it must be done, and better sooner than later.

The golden god stood up, his nine tails swaying ever so slightly, and walked into a different room, one that held some of the kitsune magic and guises his messengers were famous for. He would go to the living world, and watch over the boy in person, awaiting the time to come when he could reveal himself in the fullest.

- - -

**Merry Christmas everyone, sorry if the ending's a tad… blah. **

**Dark-Kitsune-Dreams**


	5. Chapter V

_**Special Thanks to:**_

**Legolas19**

**HarmonyHanyou**

**ineXpressible**

**Kitsune Kit**

**Silver Foxglove**

**evil chibi wolf**

**HieiloverHiei**

**Sate**

**Deathtoallclovers**

**Shadow**

**YokoYoukai**

**natsumi-chan**

**What2callmyself**

- - -

After a few wrong turns, Youko finally made it to the third corridor of the sixteenth floor. Each room on the hall was a lavish bedroom furnished with expensive furniture crafted by the finest artisans of the finest woods and the most precious metals. The rooms served as the bedrooms for the visiting nobles, so they were kept especially clean.

Youko peeked into the closest room, and found Kuro scrubbing the floor diligently. He walked over to the bat, and kneeled down.

"Kuro, do you need any help?"

Kuronue, who was distracted with muttering curses at the overseers, abruptly stopped his diligent cleaning and slammed his rag on the wooden floor.

"I'm fine, but you shouldn't be working, not when you just got back from a punishment. Those damn monsters don't know when to stop sometimes; I've seen them go too far more than once."

"I'm fine, they didn't do anything too bad to me," the fox lied. "I can still help you clean these rooms. It'll take you forever if you do it alone."

Kuronue looked hesitant, but finally gave in.

"Alright, but be careful! I don't want to have to wash these floors again because of your spilt blood on it."

The fox smiled a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry so much; they went light on me."

Of course, this was a lie, but who needed to know?

"Whatever. Grab a rag and help me finish this floor. We'll wipe off the furniture next, and then we should be finished with this room."

The Kogane picked up a rag from the bucket, and began swabbing the floor on the other side of the bed. He wasn't used to doing work, and soon felt fatigued. Not to mention, he was pretty battered from his earlier ordeal, but he wouldn't show it. He didn't want to be considered pitiful, and he certainly wanted to keep his life that he was slowly learning to love. After all, his master said that if he was weak and helpless again, he would be killed.

Hours of the same meticulous procedure went by, and one by one the rooms became clean. The afternoon snuck up on them, bringing with it an ever-quickening pace; they had to be finished before dinner, or there would be consequences. Currently, though, the two friends were enjoying a quick break before tackling the next room.

"Finally, the last room! Once that's done, we can get something to eat and be done with these damn rags for the day. My back is killing me from bending down!" the bat said.

Youko nodded vigorously; he was excited – and rather proud, as well – to be finished with his first day of labor.

"This room doesn't seem as big as the others; we should get finished faster!" the fox proclaimed cheerily.

Kuronue looked at the room skeptically, and then back to his friend, making a mental note to ask the fox if he ate something the bat should know about.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but all the rooms are the same size," came the dry response from the bat, which did indeed burst a bit of the cheer. Youko grinned sheepishly.

"It's always nice to be optimistic, though! If I've learned anything in my life, it's to always be optimistic, because something good might happen to you."

Kuro rolled his eyes.

"Not when you're a slave. Nothing good _ever _happens to you. Now, let's get started. If I have to finish this room, I might as well get it done now."

The two stood up, rags in hand, and walked into the room. After cleaning seven previous rooms in almost the exact same way, the two had a pretty effective system worked out. One would quickly dust the furniture while the other started the floor, and then the other would join in cleaning the floor. When that was done, they would fluff up the bedspread and pillows, and move on to the next.

Since Kurama dusted and wiped down the furniture in the previous room, it was Kuronue's turn. The bat demon started wiping the surfaces rapidly, anxious to be finished. Cleaning was _definitely _something he despised greatly. The other boy began on the floor, washing it carefully and diligently.

Soon, all the furniture was dusted, and Kuronue was on the floor, helping out Youko. So far, the fox hadn't done a lot; the only part that he had cleaned was the doorway and about a seven foot circumference surrounding it. The bat was growing ever-more impatient, and finally snapped.

"_Gods_! You're taking FOREVER! Hurry up already!"

Youko blinked. The sudden outburst was unexpected, and rather loud on his ears, which were currently flat on his skull.

"But, this is the first time I've every cleaned something, and I want to make sure I do a good job," he muttered softly.

Kuronue gave an exasperated sigh.

"Oh please! The better the job you do, the more they make you work! Do you really want to spend hours on end doing the same thing over and over day-in and day-out?"

The fox shook a 'no'.

"Then don't be so worried about how it looks! Just get it done, and _fast_!" Kuronue said, and threw his rag into the bucket of water. The rag made a loud splash, and sent water over the sides and onto Kurama's shirt, instantly drenching it.

"Kuronue! Watch out! You got my shirt all wet!" Youko yelled.

"Well, get out of my way and it wouldn't have hit you!"

Youko growled, dipped his rag into the bucket, making sure that it soaked up lots of water, and threw it at the bat as hard as he could. It hit him square in the side of the head, and the fox smirked. Kuronue growled and retrieved his own rag from the bucket.

"You're going to pay for that, Kurama!"

"Just try it," came the cocky response.

Kuro scowled, and whipped the rag at the fox, hitting him in the eyes. The attacker whooped at his success while the attacked wiped the soapy water from his eyes. Youko cupped his hands, and dipped them into the warm water. Once they had filled with the liquid, he brought them up, and threw it at the bat, who sputtered and did the same.

Kuronue, now sick of the piece of wet cloth clutched in his hands, threw it to the ground. A sudden idea came to him, and he tackled the fox. Youko squeaked, and tried to get the boy off of him, but soon caught on to the game. They wrestled for a bit, laughing and throwing playful gibes at each other, the wet wooden floor serving as an excellent little arena.

The bantering and cheerfulness drew another slave who was working in the area to their little game. She was outraged at the sight of them; they were disobeying orders, and defiling the names of their masters. The two boys paid no mind to her, and continued on, blissfully unaware of her ever-growing impatience. The woman cleared her throat loudly, but was unable to gain their attention.

"Boys!" she shrieked, finally earning some acknowledgement.

The bat and the fox stopped what they were doing, and Kuronue released Youko from the headlock he had him in. They both straightened their clothes, and then turned to look at her scornful face.

"What did you two think you were doing? This room isn't clean at all and the floors are soaking! _What happened in here? _Do you even know what the Baroness will do if she sees the state of this room?"

Both looked dejected. The woman continued preaching to them, unaware of the scheme building in the bat's mind. He caught Youko's attention, and motioned to the door. The fox looked confused, but suddenly caught the idea.

Kuronue looked at the woman, smirked, and then bolted for the door, Youko not far behind.

"Run away!" he shouted, and they rushed through the corridor, a blur of black hair and silver fur. They didn't stop until they made it to the dining hall for the slaves, where they collapsed onto one of the benches, heaving and sweating.

"That was close," Youko stated, regaining his breath.

Kuro nodded.

"If we were there another second longer, that person would have gotten us in trouble. Now all we need to do is avoid her for the rest of our lives, and we're good!"

"Can we really do that? I kinda stick out in a crowd with my coloration, and you're the only bat I've seen so far."

"So? Like that woman was paying attention! She was so involved in her preaching, she didn't even notice we left."

Youko laughed, and nodded.

"Do you think she's still going on?" he asked, wondering if she really was still talking.

"Probably. God, how could anyone say such things about Mukuro? I hate people like her."

Youko looked at Kuronue, curiosity plastered all over his face. Images of the woman the guard was so terrified of flashed in his mind. Could she really be the Baroness who owned this entire castle and entrusted his master, the lord Hiei, to control one day?

"Does Mukuro really own everything here? Even the possessions of others?" Youko inquired.

"Well, I know she owns all of us slaves and a third of the continent, so I guess in a way she does."

Youko brooded over this explanation for a moment.

"But what if a slave's owned by one of the vassals residing here? Does she still own that slave?"

"I don't know. I certainly am not owned by a lower lord, and have never talked to one who is, but my guess is that she does in some way or another. She owns everything else," Kuronue said, clearly not concerned with the topic.

The fox wrung his hands in his lap nervously. If Kuronue's hypothesis was true and Mukuro owned him instead of Hiei, he was sure to be killed. She had already voiced her disgust for him and wanted him out, and if she had the power to, well, he could kiss his meaningless life goodbye.

"Why'd ya ask about that? Are you claimed by one of her vassals?" Kuronue asked. He had never really ventured to know who Youko belonged to, figuring that he was just another slave for labor replacing someone. The questions his buddy was asking started to make him wonder, though.

At the same time Kuro was wondering if Youko really was the possession of a Lord, the fox was wondering whether he should tell his friend about Lord Hiei. He didn't really want to; he was afraid that if he told Kuronue, the bat would reject him. Building resolve, he raised his head to his friend.

"Well, I-"

"HEY KURO! Who's that sitting next to you?" someone yelled from across the large room.

Kurama looked around to find the person addressing Kuro, wanting to kiss his feet in gratefulness. He would tell Kuronue the truth later, he promised himself. Kuronue sighed and shook his head. Five people, three boys and two girls, walked over to where the two friends were resting.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your castle being pampered like a pussy boy?" Kuronue asked him, grinning madly.

A boy wearing clothes that were definitely cleaner, better tailored, and more colorful than the four other people around him grinned back at the boy and let out a laugh. He was wearing a very lavish green kimono with golden tassels on the sleeves. The slippers and obi were garnished with emeralds that sparkled in the light when he walked. His hairstyle was the only thing that was untidy about him. Black hair was slicked back, and a few loose strands of bangs swept over his forehead.

"My ol' man's here for the 'monthly peace meeting' of course. It's the only reason I'd be mingling with you commoners," the grinning boy said, completely joking.

"Well excuse me Mr. high-and-mighty Urameshi Yusuke, future Lord of the land," Kuro quipped back. "And what is that you're wearing? It looks like a dress!"

The other four accompanying Yusuke laughed at the joke, making the boy grit his teeth and suppress the urge to kill them all.

"Yeah, you look like a girly man! A real man would have put up a fight!" one of the other boys said. He had short orange hair that was curled and small black eyes. The boy was very tall, much taller than anyone else in the posse. He was wearing a faded brown shirt with equally faded brown pants.

"At least I'm not wearing rags! _My _clothes at least have some culture to them!" Yusuke yelled back. "Don't make me order you to do my laundry! Underclothes and everything, Kuwabara!!"

"I'm sorry if I actually have to clean my clothes, and this is the only thing clean at the moment!" Kuwabara shouted angrily.

The two boys started bickering loudly over the most random things Youko had ever heard. Both girls, one with very light blue hair that reminded him of the sky on a warm sunny day and pink eyes that sparkled with happiness, fun, and a deep caring for everything that moved, and the other with short tea colored hair and deep brown eyes, tried to stop the two from arguing, with Kuro laughing to the side and providing no help at all.

The other boy, who had long red locks with bangs that framed his gentle green eyes that could rival Yusuke's emeralds, joined in the fun. He was playing with Yusuke's golden tassels, smiling and laughing with Kuwabara.

"I'd have to agree with Kuwabara. Who would want to wear something with tassels? It looks rather ridiculous," he said.

Yusuke groaned. "Not you too, Shuichi! I thought at least _you'd_ be on my side!"

Everyone laughed again and continued their badgering of the poor boy. Youko, who seemed to be forgotten, sighed sadly, and walked away; sure he wasn't going to be missed anytime soon. He was hungry, so he stood in line, awaiting his turn to get his meal.

Once he had retrieved his meal, the fox turned from the dining hall and walked quickly to his room, completely avoiding everyone around him. He would eat his dinner as he always had; alone. After all, who would want to sit with him and his cursed golden eyes? They had betrayed him once again.

How dare he think he could have any smidgeon of happiness whatsoever. Koganes were curse, never allowed anything in life to bring them joy. That was the true curse of the golden eyes; not that cock and bull story about how just looking in them would kill you. The young fox sighed, and picked up his chopsticks. He began to eat slowly, savoring what was probably to be his last hot meal for a while.

With no more attachments here since Kuro obviously didn't care about him, Youko figured running away from the castle would be in his best interest. It was better to live on his own than to be faced with what he could have had every day. Besides, if he ran away, he would surely be hunted and killed, allowing him to be finally free of the Kogane curse.

He let a wisp of a smile crawl onto his features, and continued eating in the dingy room completely alone.

Meanwhile, back at the dining hall, Kuronue was finally finished making fun of Yusuke and was ready to introduce his new best friend to the others. He turned around to face Youko; ready to bring him into the circle, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Did any of you see where Kurama went?" Kuro asked, getting a little worried something happened to him.

"Who's Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. The others murmured a chorus of agreement and confusion.

"Kurama was the silver fox sitting next to me. I meant to introduce him earlier, but Yusuke was just too fun to humiliate."

"You know what!? I can kill you!" Yusuke snapped.

"Yusuke, I think you should calm down now," the brown eyed girl said sternly.

"But Keiko, _he_," Yusuke said, pointing an accusing finer at Kuronue, "started it! I just had to defend myself!"

"You can do whatever you want later, Yusuke, but right now, I need to find Kurama!" Kuronue exclaimed, looking high and low for his missing compadre.

"I believe he took off in the direction of the food line," Shuichi said to Kuronue.

Saying a hastened 'thank you,' Kuronue sped off, searching each table for the golden eyed fox. He tore through the straight lines awaiting food to get to the front, only to find that he wasn't there either. The bat started to ask around, but only got hazy answers or turned backs. Not one measly idea! Deciding to go out on a whim, he exited the large room and bounded towards their shared room.

He reached the door faster than usual, out of breath but still determined to look. On the other side, Youko was just about to exit the same room Kuro was trying to enter, deciding that he should at least gather some supplies for the long days of running ahead of him. When Kuronue tried to enter the room, he found some resistance, and began to try to jerry-rig it open.

"Damn old doors! Always getting stuck! Youko! If you're in there! Open up! It's me, Kuro!" the bat yelled through gritted teeth. Youko quickly stopped pushing on his side of the door, moving out of the way when the door slammed open revealing a very tired demon.

"Kuro? Why aren't you with your friends?" the fox inquired.

"Because I was worried about you! You can't just go running off like that without telling me! I was afraid that those overseers had come to hurt you again!"

"You were so wrapped up with your friends that there was no place for me, so I left," the fox timidly replied.

"How could there not be a place for you? You're my friend as well, and to quote 'I was wrapped up with my _friends,_' meaning you, too!" Kuronue explained.

Youko felt downright awful. His one friend sounded hurt and it was his entire fault. If he had only waited patiently and not jumped to conclusions, then none of what previously happened wouldn't have. His ears drooped slightly when Kuronue sighed.

"I don't know that much about you yet, but I really want to be your friend. I'm sorry if I offended you in some way, 'cause I didn't mean to. That wasn't what I meant at all! Because I really, really, really want to be your friend," Kuronue said.

Awkward silence followed as both boys reflected on what had just been said. Youko was happy to hear Kuronue's declaration of friendship and apology. To him, it was a small victory of the curse placed upon him. He smiled to Kuro, who was nervously looking down, flushed at the deluge of words that poured out of his mouth.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," the kitsune said, gaining his friend's attention. "My entire life I've been shunned from everything, so I thought that this was no different than every other time. It's my fault for leaving and jumping to conclusions."

Kuronue smiled as well.

"Well, I just want you to know that I had so much fun today. I've never had as much fun doing work in my life, and I want to keep having fun with you. So, let's continue to be friends and forget this whole thing happened," he said happily.

Youko grinned and agreed.

"I see you have some food. I know you're dying to share with me," Kuro joked, grabbing Youko's chopsticks and bowl.

"Get your own damn food! I had to stand in line to get that!" Youko said his voice laced with false anger and disgust.

"Ah, but it's so much sweeter when someone else gets it for you," the bat declared, and began to wolf it down.

Youko sighed and shook his head.

"Next ti-"

He never got to finish his sentence because the door slammed open, the noise echoing through the small room causing both boys to clutch their heads and shut their eyes; the bowl of rice dropping to the ground and spilling over. A particularly mean guard stormed in, curling his lip at the sight of the two slaves.

"You, fox, Lord Hiei demands you see him. Come on!"

Youko looked fearful; if his master was summoning him, it certainly couldn't be a good thing. Hiei didn't look like the type of person who would just summon someone to talk to them. He stood up slowly, and walked behind the man, keeping his head down so as not to get the short-tempered demon angry.

Kuronue snapped out of his stupor and stood up, seething mad. No one, no matter who they are, was going to take his friend away from him, and he was going to do something about it.

"You can't just lead him away just because some lord wants to see him, especially if he doesn't want to go!" Kuronue yelled to the demon. The demon guard slapped the bat across the face, sending him to the floor.

"You should learn to watch your tongue, slave. It might just get you killed one day," the guard said, walking out of the room. Youko looked down at Kuronue, and sent him an apologetic glance. Within that glance was the promise of explanations later, and the bat nodded. The fox followed the guard out of the room and through the corridors, bowing his head whenever anyone would pass by them.

The demon guard picked up his pace and escorted the fox up to the thirteenth floor where Lord Hiei dwelled. They passed through the familiar double doors leading to his room, and stopped before the Lord, who was awaiting them. The guard bowed his head and left, leaving the fox alone with the demon lord. Lord Hiei eyed the kitsune up and down, and lounged on the bed.

"Every night at this time, you will come here for a daily inspection. If I am not in the room, you will wait for me. You will not be late or miss one, no matter what. Understood?"

Youko nodded his head.

"Kitsune, you will answer me with words, not a movement of your head. I will ask you again; do you understand?"

"Yes," the fox squeaked.

"Yes, what?" the Lord demanded.

"Yes, master."

Hiei smiled cheekily; he loved it when he asserted his dominance upon others. "Good. Have you gotten any stronger since this morning?"

Youko was taken aback. His master honestly thought that he could grow stronger in just eight hours? If that was his expectations, the fox would most certainly die at the hiyoukai's hands.

"No, I haven't," the fox admitted, ready for his punishment. He shut his eyes tightly, but nothing came. After a few minutes passed, he opened his eyes slowly, only to find the demon staring him down again, sitting up on the bed.

"I'm assuming you pulled you weight today, am I correct?" the red eyed demon asked, moving towards the fox in a graceful strut of power and confidence. Golden eyes locked onto the small demon, taking in every fluent motion he made. The kitsune couldn't explain what came over him every time he saw the Lord; it was unknown to him.

"I asked you a question, fox, now answer!" the velveteen voice of the petite lord demanded, pulling the boy from his thoughts. Youko wanted to run away and escape the emotions that were raging an unending war in his heart, but he could not. The very emotions that urged him to run welded him to the spot, acting as chains that bound his wrists to the Lord. He was a captive of the demon in front of him, and he couldn't escape.

"Yes, I did, Lord Hiei," he said softly, afraid of the sudden captivity Youko found himself in. He was a kitsune, a fox demon, an animal; he was afraid of being caught. However, he was caught, a captive of the hiyoukai and the unidentifiable emotion laced in every cell of his body and every wisp of his spirit.

The demon lord smirked, and turned his back to the fox. He was pleased that his slave was so obedient to him; it made it easier to impale the creature with fear and bend him to his whim.

"Good. You may leave now, but don't be late tomorrow. The consequences will be dire if you are," the demon lord said, and turned from the fox. Youko bowed hastily, and left the room, running past the demon guard and back down to the slave quarters. He ran into his room, only to find Kuro asleep on his mat.

With practiced ease, Youko silently shut the door, and padded to his own pallet, slowly pulling the covers over himself. The day had been a long one, and the little fox was eager to let it slip away while he peacefully dreamed about what was to come in the future, positive that whatever it was, he could overcome it with the help of the friendship that was now as solid as stone.

- - -

**Sorry, there's no Inari in this chapter, but I promise that the beloved god will return in the next.**


	6. Chapter VI

**My sincere apologies about the lack of updates, however, I will not bother you with any excuses as to why it is late because I do not have any. Thank you. **

_**Special Thanks to:**_

_**Nannae** (Ah, thanks for qualming the reviewers fears. If I do die, however, Saiyuki is yours, and bury me with what we discussed.)_

_**Lightdark-apparition**_

_**KyoHana**_

_**SoarMoreFlyHigher**_

_**ShadowFlame**_

_**S.L.H.A.K.**_

_**Whatcallmyself **(Your sister's insight on optimism gave me a great idea. I was wondering if maybe I could have permission to use that idea and/or quote in my story, please)_

_**Mea**_

_**Fox's Rose**_

_**kittyluv**_

_**kurama-hieigirl25**_

_**Stacey**_

_**Random chick**_

_**Kitsune Kit**_

_**YokoYoukai**_

_**Shinigami-chylde**_

_**sweetsnow**_

_**HarmonyHanyou**_

_**ineXpressible**_

"So, what brings a foreigner to the Lands of the Lords?" an older man asked the middle-aged demon sitting next to him. The older man had salt-and-pepper hair that was receding in the front and was wearing what looked to be a monk's travel robes. There was no doubt in the mind of the demon the man addressed that he was a priest, as to what deity, he did not know.

"I am merely here to sell my goods in this land and solve a personal matter," the demon replied, his foreign accent dripping off his tongue.

The demon was a youko, which was curious to the monk because youko were a rare species of demon. He had tanned skin, calloused hands, and toned muscles, which was to be expected if you were lifting heavy crates all day. His hair, which was cut short but looked quite disheveled, and eyes were dark brown, and had a certain quality to them that made him look as though he knew everything. This youko's fox traits were that of a red fox; his ears tipped with black and his tail tipped white. His blue cotton shirt, brown cotton pants, and tan leather sandals had seen better days, but he wasn't complaining. After all, he would only be here for a short while.

"From what country do you hail from? No doubt from somewhere in the west, am I correct?" the monk asked, trying to strike a conversation with the only other member of the caravan that was awake.

"The island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. What about you? I did not think there was a monastery in this part of the continent."

"There isn't, you are correct. Are you familiar with the Shinto religion?"

The fox demon shook his head 'yes.'

"Well, I am a monk in the order of the god Tsuki-Yomi on a pilgrimage to see an old friend in the Inari temple and help him keep the temple in order for a bit," the old man replied. This made the fox smile, after all, it was nice to hear that people still worshipped and followed you after thousands of years.

"I never got your name," the kitsune stated, his Spanish accent still heavy on the words.

"My name is Oshi, and you?"

"Raul," the fox replied, mentally making a note to save the man's soul from the underworld when he died. After all, it was so hard to find a truly devoted priest these days. Most of the time, their vows were only half-hearted and they would steal from your offerings, and that was never good.

The monk nodded, and leaned back against a rock behind him. There was something different about the fox in front of him, he was sure of that. What that difference was, however, was the million-dollar question. Raul seemed to be an average demon; there were no peculiar markings on him or strange aura that set him apart from any other demon he had come across.

He studied the demon carefully, summing him up the best the priest could. He definitely looked ordinary enough; that was the problem. When Oshi finally reached Raul's eyes, he realized why exactly he was different. The fox's eyes were so vast; they were an endless void of golden browns and hazels. If one looked long enough, they could literally see the endless layers of wisdom that those eyes held. This fox was _definitely_ wise way beyond his years, no matter how old he was. In fact, the priest was sure that if he spent an eternity simply trying to unlock and decipher all the layers of knowledge and well-guarded secrets those eyes held, he wouldn't be able to get through the first layer. It was as if the demon could see everything in the world and knew what was to come upon them in the future.

Raul noticed the stare, and grinned to the priest. "Is something wrong, friend? You've been staring awfully intently at me."

The priest shook himself of the spell those rich eyes cast upon him, and shook his head. "I'm only tired, that is all. We should probably get some rest; tomorrow we reach the Baroness's lands."

With that the priest lay down on his side and drifted off to sleep, leaving the foreign demon to dwell on his own thoughts. Soon he would reach Mukuro's castle, and the time would come for him to complete the task he descended from the heavens for. Indeed, as many might have guessed by now, Raul is the god Inari in disguise, and he is going to visit our favorite enslaved fox. However, that would have to wait until the morning; he couldn't exactly leave the caravan if he wanted to keep up his disguise.

The disguised god huffed, and shut his eyes, lying down as well. He didn't really need to sleep; he was immortal. However, if he must in order to not raise suspicions, then he would. He let his thoughts drift and sort themselves out as he tried to fall into the rejuvenating sleep that mortals need.

In only a short few hours, the caravan would be ready to continue on its journey east towards the territory of the Baroness Mukuro. This was a particularly dangerous task because the Baroness's lands were chaotic. They were known to be full of criminals and assailants of all sorts, and travelers were the main prey of these predators. If the caravan was to pass through with little-to-no damage, they would be most fortunate. However, for now they slept, hoping to cross that dangerous territory with their lives. All, except the god-in-disguise, of course; he could not die, and worrying was considered a petty mortal feeling that the gods should not bother themselves with.

The short few hours until the rosy dawn swept across the shadowed land went quickly, and the small caravan retrieved their minds from the grasp of the dark lands of sleep. They quickly gathered their belongings and headed out, leaving before the sun could fully rise to guide them east. The aged priest had taken a place near the end of the caravan about two to three feet behind the rest. This choice spot allowed him to chant sutras and prayers in peace as well as sum up the rest of his fellow travelers without being interrupted.

Like the fox in front of him, he had an ulterior motive as to why he's here as well. It was true that he was a priest to the moon god; however, it was not true that he was going to help a friend. He was, in fact, going to the Baroness's castle to perform an exorcism, or so she called it. In all actuality, the Baroness wanted him to get rid of a newly acquired fox demon slave that was apparently causing a ruckus. Oshi was a well-known demon exterminator, and had eagerly taken the job.

He knew that afterwards, he would have to perform a ritualistic sutra to calm the dead fox's spirit, or else the then-deceased fox as well as Inari would take vengeance on him. The god disliked when those under his care and protection were dishonored or harmed in any way. It was never good to get on the bad side of a god, especially one who was so important to the world's well-being. There had been times in the past that famine had happened in parts of the world because the deities of the harvest had been offended by either another deity or a mortal; the Western goddess Demeter's loss of her daughter Persephone was a prime example of such rage.

Oshi only hoped that his sutras and offerings would be enough to please both the spirit and the god. He did feel bad about killing a demon, but everyone had a place in life, and his was to kill demons that were vicious and harmful to their neighbors. He only wondered if this demon was really causing a ruckus, or if the Baroness just did not like him; she was known for having people kill off those she didn't like and mask the death as something else. He sighed and stared ahead, mentally preparing himself for his task and what was to come. If things went smoothly, he would have some money to give to his temple, and the rest he would give to those in his village that needed it. The priest just hoped that the Baroness would stick to her word when she said she would pay him handsomely.

Meanwhile, in front of him, the god-in-disguise was pondering what he would do to earn himself a place at the castle. He was aware that lords from all over the continent had gathered at Mukuro's palace for their monthly meeting. The Earl, a human-eater who had turned to other sources for his nourishment, would be there. Duke Yomi, an ambitious lord who even challenged the gods at times, would also be present. Inari made up his mind, and decided that a bit of his godly powers wouldn't hurt anyone, and it was for a good cause. Oh yes, most definitely a good cause.

The walk soon landed the caravan about one hundred yards away from the Baroness's castle, and the fox separated himself from it, walking straight up to the gates without a care in the world. Now was time for his immortal powers to pay off. The human guard who was keeping watch over the front of the gate noticed the approaching demon from under his helmet, which was tipped so that it covered his eyes and made him look as though he was sleeping.

As the disguised god walked towards the guard, the resting man sprung up and had his European sword to the fox's throat faster than one could blink. The demon smiled to the man, and opened his deep russet eyes, staring down the human guard without flinching. The guard growled as best a human could, and gripped his sword tighter. Something about this fox made his skin crawl, and he felt as if he was falling into an abyss.

"What business do you have at the Baroness's residence?" the armored guard asked the foreign fox on the other side of his blade. The feeling of falling now permeated his body completely, and a slight haziness overtook his mind. His thoughts became clouded as the eye contact between he and the fox remained, neither breaking it nor backing down.

"I'm here on merchant's business, and I need to speak with the owner of the castle about such matters. Plus," he said casually, the foreign accent further intoxicating the human's mind, "I need somewhere to stay for a while." He grinned, knowing the full effect of what the human was going through.

The guard tried as hard as he could to defeat the invading haze in his mind, but he was slowly losing. The disguised god frowned slightly when he saw the mental battle the guard was having with his trick. However, his qualms were soon eased when the mind spell had won the battle and the haze returned to the human's eyes; he had fallen victim to the ruse. The weapon that was held at the merchant's tanned neck was lowered and sheathed, and the hands that were holding it were placed at the guard's side.

The human then turned around mechanically and motioned for the fox to follow him into the rather vast, barren courtyard of the large citadel. His movements were so precise that it seemed as if he were a marionette being controlled by the strings of the god's nasty little spell and his free will was eradicated from his body; he had become a mere shell of sorts. Once they reached the large oak doors at the other end of the courtyard, the guard stopped on a dime and signaled the 'ok' to enter. The doormen scuttled to open the doors, which were quite heavy, and bowed to the two as they passed by.

Upon entering, the visitor immediately memorized his surroundings, and spotted the two long lines of household slaves being assigned their daily chores. Our dear enslaved Kogane was among him, and the foreign demon smirked; his job was just getting easier and easier. In fact, he was beginning to wish that it would have been a bit more challenging; someone down in the living world had to have _at least _a _bit _of defiance and will-power strong enough to cause the smooth water of his plans to froth and become jagged. After all, he hadn't been among the mortals in 1200 years and he wanted a nice, eventful welcome.

Youko and Kuronue were currently standing in the line waiting to get their assigned tasks for the day. They had eaten a rushed breakfast of plain, cold rice about five minutes before they arrived in the line on account of the long explanation the silver demon gave his friend about his master, Lord Hiei. Naturally, Kuronue was shocked; he had heard horrible stories about the vassal's unquenchable bloodlust and his cruel, torturing nature. In the past, people who he had known that worked with the lord had mysteriously disappeared. He didn't want this happening to Youko, and promised himself that he wouldn't let it happen.

The line moved slowly forward, step by step. The ones in line were moving in somber silence, as if they were prisoners walking their last steps on death row. Youko grew bored of walking in silence, but he didn't want to awaken Kuro from his brooding; he seemed to be really worried about something. The kitsune started looking around the vast corridor, taking in the many colors and intricate details it held.

His eyes scanned the room until he came upon the main entrance of the castle. There, he saw another fox demon, albeit the newcomer was older than the slave. However, the fact that he was a fox didn't interest Youko; his eyes were the main attraction. Youko had never seen anyone else with his eyes, and when I say his eyes, I mean quite literally, his eyes- shape, color, everything.

"Hey Kuro," the fox said while nudging his friend, "look over there, at the entrance." Kuro awoke from his stupor, and did as his friend requested.

"All I see is another fox. He's probably just a peasant come to discuss some land dispute with his commanding vassal," Kuronue responded nonchalantly.

"No, Kuro, look at his eyes. He's a Kogane!" the silver demon replied, a bit eager to have found one such as him. Kuronue looked closely at the fox in the entrance, but saw no golden eyes, and he was sure he hadn't missed it. After all, once you saw that beautiful shade of gold, it would never be forgotten.

"I think you're seeing things, Kurama, because he definitely has _brown _eye, not gold." Youko looked at the demon in question, but saw deep, wise golden eyes instead of the brown Kuronue had claimed to see.

"I'm serious, Kuro! His eyes are gold," Youko replied, looking closely. "Maybe you just can't see them from here."

"Or maybe you're just seeing the light shine on his face. That could make them seem a different color," the other boy stated. Youko looked at the visitor one final time; he was sure that the light wasn't playing tricks on him. He shrugged his shoulders anyway, and began talking to Kuro about other things. He was never one to assert his ideas and opinions, especially when he went against what someone else thought or said.

The older fox demon at the entrance of the great castle was watching the two younger demons in the line, especially the Kogane. He knew exactly what was being said between the two, and he knew exactly what the cause was. _He _was the one who had controlled the shift in the eye color because _he, _the god Inari, wanted to draw the curious kitsune to him. No one else was to see the golden eyes or else his plan would be ruined, and then he might have to do things that he didn't want to do. After all, who would want to murder a whole castle of innocent mortals just for getting in their way?

The guard next to him began to walk forward, motioning for him to follow again. Raoul, as he was to be known in this place, followed, until they reached an older woman working as a maid. Of course, he knew who she was, and he also knew that she would be rewarded greatly for what she had done, for she was the one who had first shown the silver fox love. Without her, the god wasn't sure how exactly his little plot would have ever gone into action.

The woman, Anna if he remembered correctly, led him up to the bedrooms that Youko and Kuronue had cleaned the other day. Most of these rooms were occupied by the visiting lords and their families, all except for one. She escorted him into the spare room, and bowed to him.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Someone will come soon after that to help you with what you need," she said to him, and smiled.

"Gracias, querida," the fox said, and set his bag down on the large bed.

Anna bowed again, and excused herself from the room. Raoul sighed, and sat down on the bed, plotting exactly how he would lure the fox to him and then actually talk. It would be hard, but he didn't expect it to be easy. The boy was, after all, going to be untrusting to almost everyone because of his upbringing. That would definitely cause some minor problems, but he wasn't too worried. He was, after all, a god, and if worse came to worse, he could always use his powers to manipulate the fox into coming. Now that that ordeal was settled, he established himself on the bed, and got ready for the show that was about to start. After all, he still had to watch over Youko.

The boys had just gotten their tasks for the day, but to their disenchantment, they were not working together again. Kuronue had kitchen duty while Youko was paired up with Shuichi, a red haired, green eyed boy, to clean the thirteenth floor. The fox was hesitant to work with someone he didn't know, but after Kuro had assured Youko that Shuichi was on of the bat's friends and that they would get along fine, he was ready to try and get along. Perhaps Shuichi would be a new friend.

Shuichi waited patiently for the fox by the large, white marble staircase while Kuronue reassured Youko for the tenth time that he and Shuichi would get along just fine. Of course, Shuichi wouldn't admit that he didn't trust the young fox. There was something about him that made Shuichi exceptionally perturbed.

He thought about it for a minute, and began to think of the feeling that enclosed his body when Youko was in his vicinity the night before. It wasn't a ghastly feeling, in fact, it was quite the opposite. The comfort and familiarity that he felt around the demon was like nothing he had ever encountered in his fairly diminutive life. This comfort however was just _too _perfect, almost god-like.

"But, that couldn't be possible," he reasoned with himself. "What would a god want here?" Something didn't add up to the red-headed boy. Youko and Kuronue finally parted ways, and Shuichi put his thoughts to the side for the moment, deciding he would sort them out once he got to know Youko better.

"Are you ready?" he asked the fox, who nodded in response. The two walked up the extensive staircase until they reached the thirteenth story, a practically deserted looking area. A maid was waiting for them with the supplies they would need in order to properly clean the area, and then soon left, leaving at a fast pace that could be described as jogging.

"What was wrong with her?" Youko asked the human, who shrugged and picked up a broom. He began to sweep the hallway, and turned back to the demon.

"I don't know. Maybe she was late for something. We did take an awfully long time getting up here," he replied, hinting ever-so-slightly to Youko about his long talk with Kuronue. The fox nodded, though he knew Shuichi couldn't see it, and extracted a bucket full of warm, soapy water from the mass of cleaning supplies, and moved to the other side of the hallway.

He began to wash the chair rail diligently, not wanting to miss a spot. Youko was so heavily entranced with what he was doing, he didn't notice the apprehensive stare Shuichi cast upon him. The demon seemed to be ok; he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. However, that sensation of never ending warmth came back to the redhead as soon as Youko was in his proximity. It was beginning to be very unsettling, and he didn't know what to do to stop it. He sighed and tore his eyes away from the other slave, focusing his entire being on his work and nothing else.

A few hours had passed, and both boys were now working on cleaning the floor of the hallway by hand. After this, they would clean the rooms on this vestibule, each taking a room so the work would go by faster. This wasn't exactly what Youko was expecting, but he soon changed his hopes once he discovered that Shuichi wasn't like Kuronue. The past hours had gone by without so much as a word or two between the workers, even when Youko attempted to befriend the boy. It was as if Shuichi didn't want to be friends with the Kogane, and the fox briefly wondered if his eyes were the reason. He sighed jadedly, and began to pick up the pace; he wanted to get out of this corridor as soon as possible.

Both of the slaves were so entranced with their work that they failed to notice the doors at the end of the hallway open and someone walk out. It was only when the presence was directly behind the fox that he began to worry, his animal instincts directing him to take flight. He inhaled a large shuddering breath, and turned around, locking eyes with the person. He gasped quite loudly, gaining Shuichi's attention, and both of them stopped abruptly.

**For those of you not familiar with Spanish terms, I will provide a Glossary of sorts at the end of each chapter with the pronunciation and meaning of each term.**

**GRACIAS (grah-see-us) Thank you, thanks**

**QUERIDA (keh-ree-dah) beloved (feminine form)**

**If you are able to speak Spanish, and note an error of mine, please, feel free to correct me in a review or email me. Do not be harsh though, because I am working with a limited vocabulary of Spanish terms as it is not the foreign language I am taking and it is much different that Classical Latin. Thank you.**


	7. Chapter VII

**REVISED DISCLAIMER: **Any and all characters, techniques, weapons, and settings from the series Yu Yu Hakusho are not owned by me. They are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi, Shonen Jump, and whoever else helped in the creation, production, and airing of both the manga and the series. I, however, do own the plot and any and all original characters. **Dalsea, however, belongs to kittyluv; I have just changed a few attributes of her with her permission. For Dalsea's complete profile, go to kittyluv's author profile (at least, it was there last time I checked) or email her for it. **This disclaimer goes for the rest of the story

**Note: **I would like to ask you, the reviewers, to especially review this chapter. **I only need 15 more reviews until I reach 100** **and it would mean a lot to me if you could contribute.** Please note that this is the only time I will be asking for reviews like this, and even this small message goes against my views on asking for reviews. I would also like to thank those who have commented on my works so far, so thank you.

_**Special Thanks to:**_

**Ak**

**phoenixfirekitsune**

**BHS**

**Tankar**

**SoarMoreFlyHigher**

**joybug**

**lazy fat kitsune**

**Hiei's Loving Angel**

**Serina**

**arisu16**

**ineXpressible**

**jay**

**Kitsune Kit**

**kittyluv**

**What2callmyself**

**Volpe Di Spirito**

**A-dragon's-beautiful-rose**

- - -

Standing behind the two boys was Hiei, who, because of his political position and somewhat bratty behavior, was able to gain his own story, and what better number than thirteen? After all, it was a taboo number in the West. The three of them remained frozen in time as Hiei glowered at Youko, completely ignoring the silent human beside him.

"What are you doing here?" the vassal asked. Youko broke the eye contact by blinking his dry eyes while Shuichi started back on his work, only glancing their way with his bottle green eyes from time-to-time. The fire demon shifted his weight to his left foot and crossed his arms by his chest.

"Well?" he snapped.

"I'm cleaning this corridor, Master. I was instructed to," Youko responded timorously.

"Did I ever tell you that you could do anything other than what I tell you?" the lord hissed. Shuichi, who had moved further away from the two, could see the rage in Hiei's eyes. Although he wasn't sure if he liked Youko, he did feel commiseration towards him. The green-eyed boy knew well what the fire demon was capable of, and he wouldn't wish it on any of his enemies. He shifted slightly so he could hear what was spoken between the two better.

"N-no, you didn't say anything, Master, but I-" a loud scoff silenced Youko, who quickly bowed lowly to the lord.

"Then why are you doing so? You belong to me, and that means that you only do what I say. Do you understand?" he whispered into the fox's sensitive ear, causing said appendage to twitch.

"Yes, Hiei-sama," the young fox said. He then decided to look Hiei straight in the eyes, visibly defying him. It was true that he was afraid of him, but he didn't want to be considered weak. He had lived on his own and taken care of himself for as long as he could remember, and that was no easy task. Besides, if he didn't show Hiei that he was not a weakling, his life would be over, and he didn't want that anytime soon, especially when he had finally emerged into the radiance of it.

Indeed, his life had changed drastically from a few days ago. He now had at least one person who cared about him deeply instead of having no one at all. Simply with that knowledge alone, Youko felt he could take on the whole world and prevail, even if he was a child of taboo. This helped the fox become more strong and courageous as he looked at his master, no longer scared and weak. He was now ready for the worst the lord could do to him.

"However, I did tell you to pull your own weight, so, continue, but you are to clean my room alone, which means that you are not to help him, human," Hiei commanded, directing the last part of his sentence towards Shuichi.

After that, Hiei took to following Youko around while he was cleaning. If something wasn't up to his standards, the demon lord would make a snide comment to the fox and order him to do the task again until he was satisfied. However, no matter how many times Hiei cut him down, Youko never let him see how the words affected him.

He was tired of being weak and easy to push around. Youko was a fox demon, and it was time he started acting like one. Foxes were supposed to be cunning, elusive creatures whose arrogance was as famous as their splendor. A true fox would _never _bow down nor show their weaknesses to anyone. Youko was determined to finally be the fox demon he was born to be. He would show everyone that he could stand on his own two feet.

Hiei, too, noticed the change in the fox's behavior over the past few hours. He no longer quivered every time the lord opened his mouth or merely made a noise, and he was even defiant enough to look him straight in the eyes from time to time. If the fox kept up, he might provide ample entertainment for the vassal. The fire demon was already feeling a certain attachment towards him.

"You missed a spot on this table. Dust it again," the small demon commanded. Youko sighed, and began to dust the table he had finished five minutes ago again. Every once and awhile, he would steal glances at his master. He couldn't explain his new fascination with Hiei, but he knew he didn't want it to stop.

Shuichi, who had been ignored by both demons, was finishing up his side of the hallway. He too had noticed Youko's sudden burst of confidence, and was not sure what to make of it. Normally he would know exactly what was happening by simply watching the situation, but this one was different. He had been watching both demons' actions for a few hours now, and was still confused.

"How is it that one person could change so much?" he wondered. It seemed so irrational. No one could change so drastically so quickly; unless you were a god, of course. But Youko had so many mortal qualities that it was impossible for him to be divine. And then, Shuichi came to a brilliant hypothesis: what if Youko was _semi_-divine?

The pieces began to fit together perfectly. That was why Youko had the euphoric affect on the human, that was why he had worldly flaws, and _that_ was why he had golden eyes. Of course, Shuichi had no proof, but he would find some even if it killed him. He was determined to find the truth, even if it was impossible to do so.

Soon, his thoughts had wondered to all of the theories he'd have to test, and Shuichi didn't notice where he was going until he accidentally ran into the side table that his fellow slave had just finished cleaning and knocked it over. The loud tinkle of the glass candelabra sounded through the hallway. Youko quickly turned around and helped the red-haired boy off the ground and away from the glass.

"Are you alright?" the fox asked the other slave as he carefully helped him up into the sitting position. Shuichi nodded apprehensively, but quickly bowed his head to the livid lord standing in front of them.

"You should know better then to neglect your duties, Slave. I do not tolerate insubordination well nor do I like my clothes to get ruffled. You will be punished later for your mishap," Hiei reprimanded, turning on his heel to face Youko. "And _you_ are to clean my chamber now." Youko glanced quickly at Shuichi, and then faced his master.

"I'll take Shuichi's punishment," he said. The corridor grew eerily silent as both pairs of eyes fixed themselves on the pale face of the demon. Youko looked at Hiei, challenging him to say anything against his decision. He could have sworn that he saw amusement shining from Hiei's scarlet depths, but it was quickly pushed back into the emotionless pools he called his eyes.

"Why would you do that?" Hiei asked, not giving an inch on the staring contest that was going on.

"He's just a human, and whatever punishment you're going to give him will kill him. People would care if he died, but no one would care if I did. Besides, it was just a mistake; haven't you ever made one?" Youko asked.

Hiei was growing angry, and he couldn't hold it anymore. With one quick movement, his hand had dragged across Youko's face in a hard slap.

"The only mistake I've made was letting you live longer than ten minutes in my presence. I do not know why you are suddenly so brash, but I _will not_ tolerate it. You should remember your place, because you'll never be anything more in life. Now leave here and don't come back until I summon you." With that, the angry fire demon left into his chambers, slamming the doors behind him. Shuichi stood up slowly and looked at Youko.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that," he said. Youko smiled, and began to walk back to the slave quarters with Shuichi.

"Well, I had to do something. He was going to punish you for no reason, and that wouldn't be fair," the silver demon responded as they headed down the stairs with their cleaning supplies in tow.

"It doesn't have to be fair; he's a noble. Whatever he says goes, and we have no say in the matter. We only slaves; nothing we do counts as anything. There's no way we can change that, either," Shuichi said. Youko fell into silence after that, thinking about what was just said.

The concept wasn't new to him at all, but for some reason, it stung more now than it ever had before. As a Kogane, he didn't have a say in anything at all. In fact, people would chase him away or beat him if he even came near them, so there was no way he could have _ever_ said anything. . Perhaps he had gotten his hopes up and expected a better lifestyle than what he had previously.

Meanwhile, the god-in-disguise was lounging on the balcony of his room, gazing lazily at the twilight sky, contemplating ways he could get Youko to meet him. It had to be tonight, he knew that much, but he didn't know _how _he could get him here. Inari sighed and shut his eyes. He was sure that Hiei would not call Youko up tonight due to the question of authority that had taken place, so the fox suddenly had an opening in his busy schedule.

He shifted to a sitting position and leaned back on the palace wall. A perfect idea suddenly flashed in his mind; he would have a servant lead the fox into his chamber, claiming that he needed to bring something down that worker had left previously, and then their meeting would begin. But for now, he would wait a tad longer; he was divine, after all, so time meant nothing to him.

Down in the dungeons, a ruckus was beginning to stir as the day's work came to a close and slaves started to pour into the vicinity. Humans and demons alike talked amongst themselves sharing the latest palace gossip or the tinniest tidbit of news from outside the territory, all smiling. None of them even passed Youko a glance as they passed the table he was sitting at; it was as if he had never even existed.

Youko lowered his head onto his elbows and gave an audible sigh. How dare he be so stupid as to believe life would be different for him here. He was a Kogane, a being worth nothing unless dead. How could he even think that being bold with his master would change anything? There was no way to change what he was born as, and he was starting to believe he wasn't born as a fox.

Intelligence- he was not educated; beauty- he had no concept of the word; cunning- why, if he were cunning, he would not have been enslaved. Youko was nothing. Death had once again crossed his mind, enticing him with its false promises of peace and solitude. Why waste anything on something so completely pointless? He was, after all, nothing in the tapestry of life; no thread in its gorgeous picture represented him in the least bit.

Such reminders and promises rung through his ears as Death seduced him closer to its cold, dark void. Its soft whispers were like a gentle lullaby; he couldn't seem to pull himself from its haunting melody of false promises. Just as soon as he thought he was completely under its spell, a light seemed to appear and chase the darkness back into the shadows from whence it came.

"Hey! Can you hear me?" Kuronue asked, shaking Youko roughly on the shoulder. Slowly, the fox demon snapped out of his light slumber, and opened his golden eyes, which were dull and full of fatigue.

"Jeez, what were you thinking? You're lucky you didn't get trampled in this mob," Kuronue scolded Youko, who smiled dreamily and raised himself off of his elbows. He felt relieved to know that someone cared for him and worried about him.

"I didn't mean to drift off. Besides, it's not like anyone would want to go anywhere near me. I'm cursed, remember?" the silver demon reminded his friend, his tone somewhat bitter.

"You're not cursed, you're just different. Besides, I came near you, didn't I?" Youko nodded slightly. For some reason, Kuronue always made him feel better.

"Why then do others not like me?" the fox asked.

"Because they're all the same and are afraid of things that are different. You're different from them, so they automatically shun you; it's just a sign of their stupidity. Come on, let's go get some food before I waste away," the bat demon said.

He led Youko to the line, where they met up with Kuwabara and Yusuke who were bickering loudly. Kuronue shook his head slowly while Youko simply stared blankly at him, not knowing exactly what was going on.

"Kuro, why are they fighting?" Youko posed.

"Those two always fight; it's nothing new. Just ignore them and it'll die down."

"They're being different from everyone else, but they're not being shunned. Why is it only me?" the fox demon timidly asked. The two fell into silence as they each pondered the question Youko raised.

"I don't really know, Kurama. I wish there was something else I could say, but my insight only goes as far as that," Kuronue responded truthfully. "It makes me mad that people treat you differently than others, but there's nothing I can do to change them. Only a god could do that, and I'm not a god."

"I suppose I'm used to it, but it still hurts sometimes. I haven't done anything to anyone, and yet they all still hate me. Sometimes I wish I could just be accepted, but I'm afraid of what might happen because I wouldn't know how to act. But, it would be nice if you were a god and could change everything," Youko mused, causing Kuro to grin.

"Psh, nice? It'd be awesome. Think of how many things in the world I could change! I could make everyone like you, and Mukuro and her court slaves to us, and even bring my mother back!"

The two continued to banter about the possibilities open to them if Kuronue was a god. Neither of them noticed a demon maid approaching the two until she was standing right next to them. She was a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail and dull brown eyes that seemed misted over.

"Do you know a slave by the name of Youko?" she asked them in a voice devoid of any emotion. Both slaves gave each other cautious glances before Youko stepped forward.

"I'm Youko," the silver fox said.

"A guest has requested your presence. Follow me," she commanded. She turned around and began to walk away with Youko in tow. Kuronue began to follow behind them.

"Wait! I'll come with you!" Youko stopped and waited for his friend.

"Won't you get in trouble for being out at night? I wouldn't want you to get punished because of me."

"Don't worry about it. If anything happens, I'll be there to help," Kuronue explained as he and Youko began to follow the maid again. She stopped at the top of the stairway out of the slave quarters and turned around.

"You can come, too, Kuronue. I'm sure you can wait outside the room," the maid softly said, and they continued onwards towards the rooms the boys had cleaned the previous day.

"Who do you think wants to see me?" the silver demon asked. Kuro shrugged.

"I dunno. It must be someone pretty important, though, because we're heading towards the nobility guest rooms. We cleaned those yesterday, remember?" Youko nodded and continued to follow the woman upwards. They finally reached the corridor of the nobles, and the maid knocked on the third door of the left side. She quietly opened it and gestured Youko in, shutting the door softly behind him.

The fox demon stood in the entranceway, looking around for anyone. Golden eyes met golden eyes as the fox demon he'd seen earlier walked into the room from the balcony. He smiled softly to the frightened fox in front of him, and seated himself at a small table.

"We finally get a chance to meet, Youko. Please, sit down; I'm sure there are many things you want to ask me and there are many things I want to tell you," the older demon said. Youko cautiously sat down on one of the maple chairs.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Youko asked.

"I've watched you for a long time, now, and know everything about you. As for who I am, well, I suppose I am many things, but people commonly know me as the god Inari."

"You make no sense. You're a demon, a Kogane, like me, so how can you be a god?"

"The only way you would believe me would be for me to show you, young one," Inari replied. As he said this, his form shifted from a red fox demon to a glowing god. His hair was now lengthened and held into a low ponytail by a golden band that matched the color of his tresses, and his red fox attributes became glistening gold as well. Gold and white robes adorned his form and his tail split from one to nine.

Youko was frozen, too terrified to move. Truly this creature in front of him _was_ a god. His eyes were still gold, but gods were not Koganes. An amused half-smile appeared on Inari's face as he watched Youko.

"Now do you believe me?" A slight nod responded him. "What else do you want to ask before I start the explanations?"

"You're a god, so you can change things, right/" Youko asked, receiving a nod in return. "Could you change me so that I won't be cursed anymore?"

"You are not cursed, Youko. You're a fox demon like any other fox demon in the world. The only thing that sets you apart from them or any other living being is your eye color and your fur, but," he said, silencing Youko before he could cut the god off, "they're all different, too. Even though two beings may have the same color hair or eyes, they all have something about them that makes them different from one another."

"If we're all different, why are I and my kind forced to be outcasts?"

"It is because they fear the ones who possess golden eyes because of their lineage. Those with the eyes of gold are from parents of mixed birth, half-breeds. Golden-eyed ones were once accepted many thousand years ago, but as more advanced civilization and moral standards came into being, they became looked down upon for their mixed race. Humans started to believe they could only procreate with humans, and demons with demons. That is why so few of you golden-eyed ones are found today," Inari explained.

The fox demon began to feel angry towards those who shunned him. People had no right to judge him based on appearance, and those who started it were foolish beings. His anger dimmed to a mere spark when another question entered his mind.

"What am I a mix of, then?" he asked.

Kuronue sat outside of the door, trying not to eavesdrop on what was happening inside the room, though it was hard to give in to the temptation. He looked around the area for anyone passing, and, when sure no one was around, huffed and crossed his arms.

"Kuronue!" Someone called from down the hall. He quickly looked up to see a friend of his come his way.

Her name was Dalsea, and she was a tigress demon with brown hair streaked with gold and soft tan fur that covered her ears and tail. Her bronze eyes, the pupils cat-like, reflected the bright candlelight, and her ankle length crimson skirt and off-white apron swished around her cream slippers as she ran towards him. She was wearing an ivory blouse with the sleeves rolled up, fully showing her clawed hands. Kuronue waved to her and stood up.

"What are you doing up here alone like that?" she asked him, stopping next to him.

"I'm waiting for my friend, Youko. Someone wanted to see him in this room," Kuronue explained. Dalsea smiled.

"We can't do that thing tonight, I'm sorry to say. The guards are getting suspicious and have started to report to Lady Mukuro." Kuronue nodded, and sat back down.

"Thanks for the warning, Dalsea. I'll see you later." The demoness waved goodbye and went off to finish her duties for the night. Kuronue settled himself back down to wait, hoping that youko was alright.

Back inside, Youko was still waiting for the god's response. He wasn't sure why he was so eager to know, but something inside of him wanted to know his past.

"You are a rare mix. You're half god, Youko, and I am your father."


End file.
